New Final Rule from DOL Requires Certain Employers to Submit Injury, Illness Data
The final rule applies to certain employers in high-hazard industries with 100 or more workers.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jul 18, 2023
A new final rule from the Department of Labor means some employers will be required to submit injury and illness information starting next year.
According to a news release, the rule, announced on July 17, pertains to employers with at least 100 workers in high-hazard industries. Under the rule, which comes off the heels of a March 2022 proposed rule from OSHA, these employers will be required to electronically file data from Form 300 and Form 301 to OSHA, the DOL said.
Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said in the news release, "Congress intended for the Occupational Safety and Health Act to include reporting procedures that would provide the agency and the public with an understanding of the safety and health problems workers face, and this rule is a big step in finally realizing that objective.”
Parker continued, "OSHA will use these data to intervene through strategic outreach and enforcement to reduce worker injuries and illnesses in high-hazard industries. The safety and health community will benefit from the insights this information will provide at the industry level, while workers and employers will be able to make more informed decisions about their workplace's safety and health."
In addition to this change, the DOL stated that employers must include their legal company names on forms.
Eric Frumin, Director of Health and Safety at the Strategic Organizing Center, released a statement about the final rule, saying, “Today’s move by OSHA restores the rights for workers at Amazon and other companies with high injury rates to access essential information. It gives these workers a chance to learn more about the dangers in their workplaces and demand employers fix them.”
The effective date of the new rule is January 1, 2024.
The unpublished final rule is available to view on the Federal Register.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.