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Editor's
Note regarding citations used in this article: References to "C.F.R."
refer to the Code of Federal Regulations, the
official government publication for federal regulations.
General OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements
What
Form 300A Reports
Where to Post Form 300A
2003 was the first year employers had
to comply with OSHA's new
extended posting requirements. Find out below which employers are
covered and what information must be posted.
[Creating HR Policies or Employee Handbook?]
Do you have your Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) Form 300A posted? Should you? Covered employers are
required to post the form, a Summary of Work-Related Injuries and
Illnesses, in their workplaces from February 1 until April 30, each
year. Previously, this information only had to be posted for a
month. Form 300A reports the employer's total number of deaths,
missed workdays, job transfers or restrictions, and injuries and
illnesses as recorded on Form 300 (the Log of Work-Related Injuries
and Illnesses). This latter form must be maintained by the employer
throughout the year.
Form 300A is one of three OSHA forms required as part of the
agency's recordkeeping rule that took effect in January 2002. Learn
more about the rule's requirements and whether you must comply,
below.
[Of course, all employers covered by the Occupational Safety and
Health Act (the OSH Act) also must post a notice informing employees
of the protections and obligations provided by the OSH Act. The
notice must be posted in a conspicuous place or where notices to
employees are customarily posted. See 29 C.F.R. §1903.2(a).]
General OSHA
Recordkeeping Requirements
[Download Free Policies]
OSHA requires employers with 11 or more employees, except employers
in certain low-hazard industries, to maintain a log and summary of
all recordable work-related injuries and illnesses. (See 29 C.F.R.
§§1904.0-1904.2.) Employers in 56 low-hazard retail, service,
finance, insurance, and real estate industries specifically listed
by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code in Appendix A of
the OSHA recordkeeping regulations are exempt from the routine
illness and injury recordkeeping. (See 29 C.F.R. §1904.2.) OSHA has
provided a list of exempt industries on its Web site at
www.osha-slc.gov/recordkeeping/ppt1/RK1exempttable.html.
The regulations provide two forms for recording this information,
OSHA Forms 300 (the Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and
300A
(the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses). In addition,
you must maintain a supplementary record for each recordable injury
or illness on Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report). Form
300, 300A, and 301 should be maintained on a calendar year basis.
(See 29 C.F.R. §§1904.0-1904.2, 1904.7, 1904.29, and 1904.32.)
You should have begun reporting your injuries and illnesses using
Forms 300 and 301 beginning January 1, 2002.
What Form 300A Reports
Form 300A is intended to summarize the employer's yearly totals for
illnesses and injuries and is taken from the information recorded on
the
Log of Work-Related Illnesses and Injuries, Form 300. Specifically,
it requires that you calculate the total number of deaths, cases
with days away from work, cases with job transfers or restrictions,
and any other recordable cases. In addition, you must identify the
total number of days of job restrictions or transfers and days away
from work. Finally, you must report what types of injuries and
illnesses you experienced, including the total number of injuries,
skin disorders, respiratory conditions, poisonings, and all other
illnesses. (See 29 C.F.R. §1904.32.)
Where to Post Form 300A
You must post a copy of Form 300A in each establishment in a
conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are
customarily
posted, such as in employee break areas or locker rooms. You also
must ensure that the posted annual summary is not altered, defaced
or covered by other material. In addition, an executive must certify
that the OSHA 300 Log has been examined and that the annual summary is believed to be correct and complete. The certifying executive can
be either the owner or an officer of the organization, the
highest ranking executive at the establishment, or the supervisor of
that highest-ranking executive. (See 29 C.F.R. §1904.32.)
Copies of OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301 are available on OSHA's Web
site at
www.osha-slc.gov/recordkeeping/RKforms.html. |
Personnel
Policy Service, Inc.
