RECORDKEEPING Under OSHA’s recordkeeping regulation, certain covered employers are required to prepare and maintain records of occupational injuries and illness using OSHA 300 log. This information is important to employers, workers and OSHA in evaluating the safety of a workplace, understanding industry hazards, and implementing worker protections to reduce or eliminate hazards. A revised 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. These changes to OSHA’s injury reporting rule became effective at the federal level January 1, 2015. Minnesota OSHSA adopted the new injury reporting requirements March 16, 2015, with an effective date of October 1, 2015. Changes to OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements (for low-hazard industries) were not adopted by Minnesota OSHA, which is consistent with past requirements in Minnesota. Further information is available MNOSHA Compliance: Standards and Regulations or at federal OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements. REPORTING SEVERE INJURY AND WORK-RELATED FATALITIES Employers must report work-related fatalities that result in the death of at least one employee, or incidents that result in the in-patient hospitalization of at least three employees, to Minnesota OSHA within eight hours after the death or hospitalization. Such a report must be made orally, in person or by telephone, to one of the area offices listed in the Resource Directory section of this Guide. After normal business hours, the report can be made by telephoning 800-321-6742. Severe on-the-job injuries that do not result in death but require hospitalization must be reported within 24 hours. Such reports must be filed regardless of the size of the business. WORKPLACE SAFETY PLAN Employers in certain industries must develop and implement a written workplace accident and injury reduction program to promote safe and healthful working conditions. Industries where a plan is required are identified by the Commissioner of Labor and Industry by Standard Industrial Classification, based on the industry segment’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ injury and illness record. The list is updated every two years and is published in Minnesota Rules 5208.1500. An employer who is in a designated industry must develop its written plan within six months following the date the standard industrial classification (SIC) code for the industry is placed on the list. The program must have clearly stated goals and objectives, and must describe responsibility for implementing the program; management participation; methods used to identify, analyze, and control new or existing hazards, conditions and operations; communication of the plan to affected employees; investigation of workplace accidents and corrective action; and enforcement of safe work practices. The employer must conduct and document a review of the workplace accident and injury reduction program at least annually and document how procedures described in the program are met.
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