OSHA releases data on new severe injury reporting requirement

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has released first year data derived from a new requirement to report any severe work-related injury within 24 hours. The new reporting requirement took effect on Jan. 1, 2015, and includes any injury resulting in in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), in a notice to its members notes, though refuse and recyclable material collection ranks as the fifth most dangerous job in the United States when measured by fatalities, it does not appear in the top 25 industry groups reporting severe injuries. OSHA did receive 55 severe injury reports related to solid waste collection in 2015, and 13 reports from solid waste landfills. This includes a total of 13 amputations from both types of job sites. The evaluation also notes that more than 6 percent of severe injury reports overall involved a temporary worker.

The association also says OSHA’s evaluation of the reporting requirement in its first year is derived only from federal OSHA states, and does not include injuries from the 26 states that administer their own safety and health programs. OSHA also asserts that many severe injuries — perhaps 50 percent or more — are not being reported. The majority of reports were filed by the largest employers, so it is believed that many small and mid-size employers are unaware of the new requirements.

In the first full year of the reporting program, employers notified OSHA of 10,388 incidents involving severe work-related injuries. In 62 percent of cases, OSHA responded by asking employers to conduct their own incident investigations, rather than doing inspections.

The severe injury reporting and other OSHA issues will be discussed at SWANA’s Safety & Compliance Workshop on May 24 in West Palm Beach, Florida. More information is available at https://swana.org/Events/EventDetail.aspx?ec=WKP160524.