In May 2016, the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) finalized a rule by the title of Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, which requires certain employers to submit injury and illness data from Forms 300, 300A and 301 electronically.
In order to streamline this process, OSHA will be launching a website August 1, which includes the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) for submitting the required data. The only software requirement is a standard Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox.
The electronic reporting requirement is based on the size of each establishment, defined as a single physical location where services or operations are performed. For most industries, the size of a reporting establishment is 250 or more employees, but several high-risk industries, including construction and manufacturing, is 20 or more employees. However, these exceptions require only the electronic submission of Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.
This requirement became effective on January 1, 2017, and the original submission deadline was to be July 1, 2017. However, OSHA recently released a notice of proposed rulemaking to extend the deadline to December 1, 2017, which will allow affected businesses time to become familiar with the new, electronic system.
According to an OSHA press release, the process for submitting injury and illness data involves the following four simple steps:
- Create an establishment.
- Add summary data from Form 300A.
- Submit the data to OSHA through the website.
- Review the confirmation email to ensure the data is correct.
The website itself offers three options for the submission of data:
1. Enter it manually into a Web form.
or
2. Upload a CSV file for single or multiple establishments.
or
3. Interface a current automated recordkeeping system for electronic transmission.
For further information, to read a list of frequently asked questions or to request assistance, visit OSHA’s ITA webpage, and as always, check with your state OSHA agency or workplace safety authority for rules specific to your state.
