Are You Prepared to Comply with the New 2017 OSHA Electronic Reporting Requirements?

With every new year comes new rules, regulations and reporting requirements. Effective January 1, 2017, a new OSHA rule requires that certain employers submit all injury and illness data electronically.

Why the change?

This rule change is being driven by OSHA’s desire to capture safety incident data in a format that improves the efficiency of enforcement and compliance resources. OSHA believes that a more public and visible disclosure process will encourage employers to improve workplace safety and provide valuable information to workers, job seekers, customers, researchers and the public.

Who is required to report electronically? What are the deadlines?

The new reporting requirements will be phased in over two years in accordance with the following:

– Organizations with 250 or more employees in industries covered by the recordkeeping regulation must submit information electronically from their 2016 Form 300A by July 1, 2017. These same employers will be required to submit information from all 2017 forms (300A, 300, and 301) by July 1, 2018. Beginning in 2019 and every year thereafter, the information must be submitted by March 2nd.

– Organizations with 20-249 employees in certain high-risk industries must submit information from their 2016 Form 300A by July 1, 2017, and their 2017 Form 300A by July 1, 2018. Beginning in 2019 and every year thereafter, the information must be submitted by March 2nd.

How do I report the information electronically?

OSHA will provide a secure website that offers three options for data submission:

1. Manually enter data into a OSHA webform online;

2. Upload a CSV file to process single or multiple establishments at the same time; or

3. Transmit data electronically via an API (integration with an EHS software).

The site is scheduled to go live in February 2017.

What can you do to make the transition simple?

OSHA’s new rule requires employers to adopt an electronic EHS management/recordkeeping system, manually enter records into the OSHA website or translate all paper records into electronic format for one-time submission.

Cloud EPC’s EHS Management system is designed to capture all pertinent safety incident information and effortlessly transmit all the OSHA required information in the designated electronic format. Forms 300, 300A and 301 are all produced automatically, and the information can be sent to OSHA quickly via Cloud EPC’s API integration directly with OSHA (currently in development).

Watch this short-narrated video to preview Cloud EPC’s EHS management system in action:

Click here to learn more about Cloud EPC’s EHS management system and how it can ensure you are always in compliance with the latest OSHA reporting requirements.