Evaluation: First year of OSHA injury reporting requirement.

Evaluation: First year of OSHA injury reporting requirement helps agency engage with employers and focus resources where needed.

Since Jan. 1, 2015, employers have been required to report any severe work-related injury – defined as a hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye – within 24 hours. (The requirement to report a fatality within 8 hours was unchanged.)

During the first full year of a new reporting requirement, employers reported 10,388 severe injuries, including 7,636 hospitalizations and 2,644 amputations. For more statistics and the evaluation of the impact of the new requirements, see the full report*

 

In the majority of cases, OSHA asked employers to conduct their own incident investigations and propose remedies to prevent future injuries. OSHA provided employers with guidance materials to assist them in this process. Known as a Rapid Response Investigation, this collaborative, problem-solving approach invites the employer and an area OSHA expert to work together toward the shared goal of fixing hazards and improving overall workplace safety. At other times, the agency determined that the hazards described warranted a worksite inspection.

"In case after case, the prompt reporting of worker injuries has created opportunities for us to work with employers we wouldn't have had contact with otherwise," said report author David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "The result is safer workplaces for thousands of workers." Read Dr. Michaels' blog for examples of workplace safety success stories that resulted from collaboration between employers and OSHA.

An evaluation of 2015 results found that the requirement met its intended goals of helping OSHA focus resources where they are most needed, and engaging employers in high-hazard industries to identify and eliminate hazards.

"OSHA will continue to evaluate the program and make changes to improve its effectiveness," Dr. Michaels wrote in the report. "And we are seeking new ways to make sure that small employers know about their reporting obligations and the resources available to them."

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Illinois Fatalities

ILLINOIS WORKPLACE FATALITIES ON THE RISE

*	Too many preventable injuries, illnesses and fatalities continue to occur in Illinois
*	Workers and families should never accept the risk of death as a condition for employment

In Illinois about one person each week dies in a workplace accident

Commit to a Safe and Healthy Workplace in 2016

Workplace Safety Happens on Purpose – Not By Accident

Illinois Fatalities 2014-2015                201

Employers must plan for a safe and healthy workplace by developing a good safety and health program that includes:   management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification, hazard prevention and control, education and training, and program evaluation and improvement. The basic idea behind these programs is to change the workplace culture by developing a process to identify and fix hazards.

Employers:		Employees:
*	Evaluate for workplace hazards	*	Attend all workplace safety and health training
*	Ensure machinery, tools, and work areas are in good working order	*	Follow workplace safety and health procedures and review them frequently
*	Develop procedures to eliminate those hazards
*	Provide PPE to employees and enforce its use	*	Maintain and wear issued PPE
*	Train employees on safe operating procedures and retrain frequently	*	Don’t take short cuts
*	Encourage employees to report workplace hazards	*	Report unsafe conditions and near misses

“Making a living shouldn't have to cost you your life. Workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses are preventable. Safe jobs happen because employers make the choice to fulfill their responsibilities and protect their workers.”

— Dr. David Michaels Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health

	OSHA realizes that most employers want to do the right thing and protect their workers from harm on the job.  OSHA is committed to providing assistance. We provide free on-site consultation to small employers, as well as other compliance assistance, educational materials and training.  We want to make sure that no business in this country fails to protect its workers because it can't afford good safety information or can't understand how to comply with safety and health standards. The Illinois On-site Consultation Program phone number is (800)972-4216. You can find On-site Consultation Program information for other State’s by visiting the consultation page at OSHA's Web site, www.osha.gov/consultation.
	For more information go to WWW.OSHA.GOV or contact your nearest local OSHA office:
Aurora Area Office   365 Smoke Tree Plaza   N. Aurora, Illinois  60542   (630) 896-8700   (630) 892-2160 FAX		Calumet City Area Office 1600 167th Street Suite  9 Calumet City, Illinois  60409 (708) 891-3800 (708) 862-9659 FAX	Chicago North Area Office 701 Lee Street Suite  950 Des Plaines, Illinois  60016 (847) 803-4800 (847) 390-8220 FAX	Fairview Heights Area Office 11 Executive Drive Suite  11 Fairview Heights, Illinois  62208 (618) 632-8612 (618) 632-5712 FAX	Peoria Area Office 1320 West Commerce Dr Suite  800 Peoria, Illinois  61615 (309) 589-7033 (309) 589-7323 FAX

OSHA doesn't kill jobs; it helps prevent jobs from killing workers

Employers must post injury and illness summaries now through April

OSHA reminds employers of their obligation to post a copy of OSHA's Form 300A, which summarizes job-related injuries and illnesses logged during 2015. The summary must be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted each year between Feb. 1 and April 30.

Businesses with 10 or fewer employees and those in certain low-hazard industries are exempt from OSHA recordkeeping and posting requirements. As of Jan. 1, 2015, certain previously exempt industries are now covered. Lists of both exempt and newly covered industries are available on OSHA's website. Visit OSHA's Recordkeeping Rule webpage for more information on recordkeeping requirements.

OSHA extends public comment period on guidance for determining potential health hazards of chemicals

To allow stakeholders more time to review and comment, OSHA has extended the public comment period to May 2, 2016, for its draft Guidance on Data Evaluation for Weight of Evidence Determination. For more information or to comment, visit OSHA's webpage on the draft guidelines.

OSHA Fatal Facts

Fatal Facts describe cases that are representative of employers who failed to identify and correct hazardous working conditions leading to fatalities at their worksites. The documents offer ideas on how to correct these hazards and educate workers about safe work practices.

Fatal Facts are not an OSHA standard or regulation and they create no new legal obligations. The recommendations contained herein are advisory in nature and are intended to assist employers in providing safe and healthful workplaces.

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/fatalfacts.html 

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Deputy Assistant Secretary Barab addresses the dangers of workplace violence at national safety and health conference

Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab provided the keynote address at a national conference of Veterans Administration hospital workers in Las Vegas. The conference, held by the American Federation of Government Employees, brought together representatives and partners of the host organizations to update and educate them on key and emerging occupational safety and health issues.

Barab highlighted OSHA's ongoing work with VA hospitals and other healthcare facilities to combat workplace violence, including the release last year of Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers*. He also discussed the agency’s efforts to ensure that OSHA inspectors have the resources, training and tools necessary to conduct inspections in response to workplace violence.

"Care of our nation's veterans is a national priority, but we also have to look out for the health and safety those who care for them," Barab told the conference attendees. "Workplace violence remains a difficult and dangerous problem, particularly for those in healthcare settings."

For more information, see OSHA's Workplace Violence webpage.
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Employers must post injury and illness summaries now through April

OSHA reminds employers of their obligation to post a copy of OSHA's Form 300A, which summarizes job-related injuries and illnesses logged during 2015. The summary must be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted each year between Feb. 1 and April 30.

Businesses with 10 or fewer employees and those in certain low-hazard industries are exempt from OSHA recordkeeping and posting requirements. As of Jan. 1, 2015, certain previously exempt industries are now covered. Lists of both exempt and newly covered industries are available on OSHA's website. Visit OSHA's Recordkeeping Rule webpage for more information on recordkeeping requirements.