OSHA Proposes Changes to Its Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Rule

​The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, announced on July 26, 2018, a notice of proposed rulemaking that would eliminate provisions of its “improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses" rule to better protect workers' personally identifiable information. The notice, which was published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2018, proposes ending the electronic collection of case-specific forms, while continuing the collection of summary forms. OSHA said that case-specific forms add “uncertain" value, while posing a potential privacy risk under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). OSHA is specifically removing the part 1904 requirement from its record-keeping rule, which became effective on January 1, 2017, and required the annual electronic submission of injury and illness information from OSHA forms 300 and 301. (For more information, see HRC Alerts, May 18, 2016: OSHA Releases Final Rule Requiring Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Data).