As a contractor or construction business owner, you’re likely no stranger to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). You already record workplace injuries and illnesses, but a new rule will require you to submit some of this information electronically. Employers also must inform employees of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses free from retaliation, which can be done by hanging this free poster. Read about the details to ensure you’re in compliance with the law when the update takes effect.

How to submit electronically

OSHA plans to provide a secure website with three options for submitting the required data:

1. Manually entering data into a webform
2. Uploading a spreadsheet
3. Transmitting data electronically through an automated recordkeeping system

The details for inputting the data vary depending on the number of employees in your business. Companies with 250 or more employees must submit information from their 2016 Form 300A by July 1, 2017, and information from all 2017 forms (300A, 300, and 301) by July 1, 2018. In 2019 and going forward, this information must be submitted by March 2. The due dates remain the same for businesses with less than 250 employees, but only information from form 300A has to be submitted. 

Reason for OSHA Update

By publishing this information to the OSHA website, OSHA hopes to encourage employers to increase their efforts to prevent worker injuries and illness. The public data will also allow researchers to examine trends to identify opportunities to make workplaces safer and healthier. The end goal is to improve safety for workers across the country. Since accidents and illnesses are expensive to employers, this will in turn help employers’ bottom lines.