Updates to OSHA’s Reporting and
Recordkeeping Rule: An Overview
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration’s updated recordkeeping rule
includes two key changes.
First, the rule updates
the list of industries that are exempt from the
requirement to routinely keep OSHA injury and
illness records due to relatively low occupational
injury and illness rates. The previous list of
industries was based on the old Standard
Industrial Classification (SIC) system and injury
and illness data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) from 1996-1998.
The new list of industries that are exempt from
routinely keeping OSHA injury and illness records is
based on the North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) and injury and illness data from
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from 2007-
2009. Note: The new rule retains the exemption for
any establishment with ten or fewer employees,
regardless of their industry classification, from the
requirement to routinely keep records.
Second, the rule expands the list of severe work related
injuries and illnesses that all covered
employers must report to OSHA. The revised rule
retains the current requirement to report all fatalities
within 8 hours and adds the requirement to report
all inpatient hospitalizations, amputations and loss
of an eye within 24 hours to OSHA.
The new requirements will take effect on
January 1, 2015. Establishments located in states
under Federal OSHA jurisdiction must begin to
comply with the new requirements on January 1,
2015. Establishments located in states that
operate their own safety and health programs
should check with their state plan for the
implementation date of the new requirements.
The final rule will allow OSHA to focus its efforts
more effectively to prevent fatalities and severe
work-related injuries and illnesses. The final rule
will also improve access by employers, employees,
researchers and the public to information about
workplace safety and health and increase their
ability to identify and abate serious hazards.
Changes to reporting requirements:
What needs to be reported to OSHA?
OSHA’s updated recordkeeping rule expands the
list of severe injuries and illnesses that employers
must report to OSHA.
As of January 1, 2015, all employers must report:
• All work-related fatalities within 8 hours.
• All work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all
amputations and all losses of an eye within
24 hours.
• You can report to OSHA by:
{ Calling OSHA’s free and confidential number
at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)
{ Calling your closest OSHA Area Office
during normal business hours
{ Using the new online form that will soon be
available.
Only fatalities occurring within 30 days of the
work-related incident must be reported to
OSHA. Further, for an inpatient hospitalization,
amputation or loss of an eye, these incidents must
be reported to OSHA only if they occur within 24
hours of the work-related incident.
Changes to recording requirements: Who
is required to keep records?
OSHA regulations require certain employers
to routinely keep records of serious employee
injuries and illnesses. However, there are
two classes of employers that are partially exempt from routinely keeping records. First,
employers with ten or fewer employees at all
times during the previous calendar year are
exempt from routinely keeping OSHA injury and
illness records. OSHA’s revised recordkeeping
regulation maintains this exemption.
Second, establishments in certain low-hazard
industries are also exempt from routinely keeping
OSHA injury and illness records. Since 1982, this
list has included establishments in the divisions of
retail trade; finance, insurance and real estate; and
the service industry if the three-year average lost
workday case rate for their major industry group
was 75 percent less than the overall three-year
average of the lost workday case rate for
private industry. OSHA’s revised recordkeeping
regulation provides an updated list of low‑hazard
industries that are exempt from routinely
keeping OSHA injury and illness records. The
new list of exempt industries is now classified
by the North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS), which is the standard used by
federal statistical agencies in classifying business
establishments for the purpose of collecting,
analyzing and publishing statistical data related to
the U.S. business economy. The injury and illness
rate threshold for an exemption is based on more
recent BLS data.
Where can I find more information?
For more information about the new reporting
requirements and updated industry lists, visit
OSHA’s webpage on the updated recordkeeping
rule at www.osha.gov/recordkeeping2014.