OSHA Rule Will Require Federal Agencies to Submit Injury, Illness Data
Beginning in 2014, they must provide the annual summary data to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which will send the data to OSHA.
OSHA published a final rule Aug. 5 that, beginning in 2014, will require all federal agencies to submit their annual injury and illness data to the Bureau of Labor Statistics every year. BLS will send the data from these forms to OSHA so it can analyze the injuries and illnesses among more than two million federal agency workers and develop training and inspection programs accordingly. Federal agencies currently must compile this information just as private-sector employers do, but they are not required to submit it to OSHA or BLS.
The rule will take effect Jan. 1, 2014. It says federal agencies must include "uncompensated volunteers" when reporting and recording their occupational injuries and illnesses.
"This change provides OSHA an opportunity to collect injury and illness data from all federal agency establishments," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "The data will us help streamline and improve programs to reduce occupational hazards and prevent injuries, illnesses, and deaths within the federal workforce."
Federal agencies have been required to follow the same recording and reporting requirements as the private sector since January 2005.