Employers in the healthcare industry will soon have to submit certain information specific to injuries and illnesses that occur on the job to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The United States Department of Labor made the announcement on July 17. While employers are currently required to keep records of such incidents, they have not been previously required to submit those files to OSHA unless audited. The final rule includes two new requirements:

1. In addition to submitting Form 300A (Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) to OSHA once a year, companies with 100 or more employees in high-hazard environments must now submit information from two other documents recording the details of work-related illness and injuries: Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report).
2. Establishments are now required to include their company’s legal name in their electronic submissions pertaining to work-related injuries and illnesses to OSHA.

OSHA will make some of the information publicly available on its website to allow potential employees, employee representatives, current and potential customers, researchers, etc., to make informed decisions on a company’s workplace safety.

"OSHA will use these data to intervene through strategic outreach and enforcement to reduce worker injuries and illnesses in high-hazard industries” Doug Parker, assistant secretary for occupational safety and health, said in a prepared statement. “The safety and health community will benefit from the insights this information will provide at the industry level, while workers and employers will be able to make more informed decisions about their workplace's safety and health.”

The new rule is set to take effect on January 1, 2024.

To learn more about the changes, click here.