OSHA Only Requiring Electronic Submission of 300A Forms

In the last Regulatory Agenda, OSHA indicated that it was undergoing rulemaking to revise the Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses regulation promulgated under the Obama administration. Specifically, OSHA noted it was considering deleting the requirement for employers with 250 or more employees at an establishment to electronically submit its 300 Log, 301 Forms along with the 300A Form.  What was not clear at the time was what OSHA was going to require for submission in July since the agency has not yet issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking revising the standard.

Recently, OSHA made clear that it will not collect or require employers with 250 or more employees per establishment to submit the 300 Log or the 301 Forms.  OSHA will require all employers covered by the regulation to only submit the 2017 300A Form by July 1, 2018. Beginning in 2019 and every year thereafter, the 300A Forms must be submitted by March 2.

Covered establishments with 250 or more employees are only required to provide their 2017 Form 300A summary data. OSHA is not accepting Form 300 and 301 information at this time. OSHA announced that it will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to reconsider, revise, or remove provisions of the “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses” final rule, including the collection of the Forms 300/301 data. The Agency is currently drafting that NPRM and will seek comment on those provisions.

Also, last week we blogged about OSHA’s reversal in position regarding the electronic filing of 300A Forms by employers in state plans that have not adopted the Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses requirements.  OSHA is now requiring those employers to submit their 300A Forms using the Injury Tracking Application on OSHA’s website by July 1, 2018.  However, an agency official recently clarified that since OSHA does not have jurisdiction in those states with state plans, it is prohibited from enforcing the regulation and can not issue citations to employers for failing to electronically submit the 2017 300A, and since those certain state plans have yet to adopt the regulation they are equally prohibited from enforcing the requirement and can not issue citations to employers. So while OSHA is requiring employers in state plans that have not yet adopted the regulation to submit their 2017 300A it has acknowledged that it has no enforcement authority for those employers who fail to do so.

Article courtesy of Jackson Lewis