The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a new Web tool to help employers understand their responsibilities to report and record work-related injuries and illnesses under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
The OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor helps employers and others responsible for organizational safety and health quickly determine:
- Whether an injury or illness (or related event) is work-related;
- Whether an event or exposure at home or on travel is work-related;
- Whether an exception applies to the injury or illness;
- Whether a work-related injury or illness needs to be recorded; and
- Which provisions of the regulations apply when recording a work-related injury or illness.
To help employers in making these determinations, the OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor presents questions and relies on responses to determine the appropriate course of action. If the Advisor does not address the circumstances of a particular case, employers are encouraged to contact OSHA or obtain expert advice.
Some employers may be exempt from OSHA’s recordkeeping rules, for example those with 10 or fewer employees during the previous calendar year and those classified in specific industries. Employers in States with OSHA-approved State plans should contact their States for information on State-specific recordkeeping regulations.
Employers can access the OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor from the DOL web site at: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/osharecordkeeping.htm. This Advisor is one of a series of online elaws (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses) Advisors developed by DOL to help employers and employees understand federal employment laws. For a complete list of elaws Advisors, visit the elaws web site at: www.dol.gov/elaws. To learn more about DOL’s occupational safety and health program, visit the OSHA web site at www.osha.gov.