Tag: #injuryandillnessrates

BLS: Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses rose in 2022

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Bureau of Labor Statistics

Washington — The number of reported workplace injuries and illnesses in the U.S. private sector increased in 2022, data released Nov. 8 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

Workers in private industry experienced an estimated 2.8 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses last year. That’s up from slightly more than 2.6 million in 2021. The 2022 total includes more than 2.3 million injuries and nearly 461,000 illnesses.

Nonfatal workplace injuries increased by more than 100,000 for the second year in a row. The 2.3 million injuries are fewer, however, than the roughly 2.7 million injuries reported in both 2019 and 2018.

The rate of nonfatal injuries remained steady at 2.3 per 100 full-time equivalent workers.

The number of illnesses recorded increased by nearly 100,000 from 2021, largely because of a rise in respiratory illnesses. Around 365,000 respiratory illnesses were reported in 2022, representing almost 80% of all workplace illnesses.

That’s up from nearly 270,000 respiratory illnesses in 2021. However, those numbers are both down from the nearly 429,000 respiratory illnesses reported in 2020 – the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By contrast, 10,800 workplace respiratory illnesses were recorded in 2019 and 12,100 in 2018.

Other 2022 data highlights:

  • Among industry groups, health care and social assistance had the highest number of recordable cases (665,300). Retail trade (422,700) and manufacturing (396,800) followed.
  • Transportation and warehousing had the highest rate of recordable cases at 4.8 per 100 FTE workers. Health care and social assistance (4.5) was No. 2, followed by arts, entertainment and recreation (4.2).

The data release is the first of two annual reports from BLS. The second, scheduled to be released Dec. 19, will highlight Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries findings.

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Injury and illness rates in warehouses are too high, OIG tells OSHA

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Injury and illness rates in warehouses are too high
Photo: Ton Photograph/iStockphoto

Washington — OSHA hasn’t “effectively addressed” elevated injury and illness rates in the warehousing industry, the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General contends.

A recent DOL OIG audit, the results of which were released Sept. 27, sought to answer the question: “To what extent has OSHA addressed high injury and illness rates at warehouses (before and during the COVID-19 pandemic)?” The oversight agency analyzed injury, illness, complaint and inspection data from October 2016 through 2021; interviewed OSHA personnel; and reviewed OSHA guidance and standards.

OIG says the injury and illness rate in 2021 was 5.5 per 100 employees – “more than double the rate across all industries” – and 5.1 per 100 employees during the audit period. The audit revealed that OSHA conducted nearly 3,800 inspections in the industry, covering 4.1% of establishments self-classified as warehouses. OIG also found that 82% of those inspections were unprogrammed, primarily stemming from referrals or complaints.

OIG makes seven recommendations to OSHA:

  1. Update the criteria for the number of establishments to be included in the Site-Specific Targeting Program’s universes to better reflect industry growth and the number of eligible establishments nationwide.
  2. Develop specific, measurable inspection goals for the Site-Specific Targeting Program, including a baseline for the number of inspections in each Site-Specific Targeting category, and periodically monitor progress toward those goals.
  3. Develop a more effective enforcement strategy to improve employer Form 300A compliance.
  4. Assess Form 300A data categories and gather more specific supporting information about injuries to better identify the count and type of injuries reported, such as musculoskeletal disorders.
  5. Develop improved Form 300A data analyses to better identify trends among industries and establishments.
  6. Develop specific measurable inspection goals for the warehousing National Emphasis Program, including a baseline for the number of inspections to complete and periodically monitor progress toward those goals. Ensure the goals contain metrics that demonstrate the outcomes of the program.
  7. Issue specific training to address the training components of the warehouse National Emphasis Program.

OSHA administrator Doug Parker pushed back on OIG’s conclusions, saying the audit was based on a limited set of data points that “do not account for important contextual factors.” The audit, he continues, also didn’t consider the overall impacts on worker safety across multiple industries while attempting to make “broad policy judgments” that “go well beyond OIG’s expertise.”

Parker writes: “OSHA recognizes a need to increase the effectiveness of our enforcement activities to protect workers from the unacceptable injury rates in the warehousing and related sectors. OSHA not only disagrees with the OIG’s report but is frustrated and disappointed with the OIG’s conclusions. The OIG’s methodology and reasoning are flawed and do not result in recommendations that would strengthen OSHA’s enforcement efforts.”

Finally, he contends that the audit process was a “missed opportunity to work collaboratively” with OSHA personnel on enforcement programs in the sector.

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

OSHA’s revised rule on injury and illness data submission undergoing final review

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Form 300A
Photo: OSHA

Washington — OSHA’s changes to which workplaces are required to submit annual injury and illness data are undergoing final review, according to an Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs dashboard.

OSHA currently requires electronic submissions of Form 300A – a yearly summary of injury and illnesses data – for establishments with 250 or more employees and those with 20 to 249 employees in certain high-hazard industries.

The agency wants to require establishments with 100-plus employees in high-hazard industries to submit injury and illness data from the more detailed Forms 300 and 301, in addition to Form 300A, each year. Establishments in those same industries with 20 or more employees would need to submit only Form 300A under the proposal.

OSHA has also proposed to end the electronic reporting requirement for establishments with 250-plus employees that aren’t on the list of high-hazard industries. Additionally, the agency is seeking to update its classification system that determines which industries are covered under its electronic reporting requirements and to require establishments to include a company name when submitting data to the agency.

“As part of OSHA’s mission to protect workers and mitigate workplace hazards, this rule would improve OSHA’s ability to use its enforcement and compliance assistance resources to identify workplaces where workers are at high risk,” the agency said in a March 2022 press release.

It’s unclear how long the review will take. OSHA’s permanent standard on COVID-19 for health care workers has been under review since Dec. 7. A proposed rule on personal protective equipment in construction needed seven months for its review and has yet to appear in the Federal Register.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

OSHA to employers: Injury and illness reporting period nearing

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Photo: OSHA

Washington — OSHA is reminding employers of the upcoming window to submit 2022 Form 300A data.

Between Jan. 2 and March 2, establishments with 250 or more employees and those with 20-249 employees in certain high-hazard industries must electronically submit Form 300A – a yearly summary of injury and illnesses data. The data can be submitted in three ways via the Injury Tracking Application website:

  • Manually
  • By uploading a CSV (comma-separated values) file to add multiple establishments at the same time
  • Via an application programming interface

Be advised: New login procedures, using Login.gov, went into effect in October. OSHA has a how-to video that explains the account creation process.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

USDOL announces proposed rule to amend federal occupational injury, illness recordkeeping regulation

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by OSHA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing amendments to its occupational injury and illness recordkeeping regulation, 29 CFR 1904.41. The current regulation requires certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information – that they are required to keep – to OSHA. The agency uses these reports to identify and respond to emerging hazards and makes aspects of the information publicly available.

In addition to reporting their Annual Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, the proposed rule would require certain establishments in certain high-hazards industries to electronically submit additional information from their Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, as well as their Injury and Illness Incident Report.

As part of OSHA’s mission to protect workers and mitigate workplace hazards, this rule would improve OSHA’s ability to use its enforcement and compliance assistance resources to identify workplaces where workers are at high risk. The proposed rule would also advance the department’s mission to empower workers by increasing transparency in the workforce.

The proposed rule would:

  • Require establishments with 100 or more employees in certain high-hazard industries to electronically submit information from their OSHA Forms 300, 301 and 300A to OSHA once a year.
  • Update the classification system used to determine the list of industries covered by the electronic submission requirement.
  • Remove the current requirement for establishments with 250 or more employees not in a designated industry to electronically submit information from their Form 300A to OSHA annually.
  • Require establishments to include their company name when making electronic submissions to OSHA.

Establishments with 20 or more employees in certain high-hazard industries would continue to be required to electronically submit information from their OSHA Form 300A annual summary to OSHA annually.

Submit comments online using Docket No. OSHA-2021-0006 on the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Read the Federal Register notice for details. Comments must be submitted 60 days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register.

Learn more about OSHA’s Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements.

McCraren Compliance assists employers in protecting their workers, starting with a comprehensive Work-site Analysis, Hazard Prevention, Controls, and Safety & Health Training.

Please contact us today at 888-758-4757 to learn how we can provide mine safety training and consulting for your business.

OSHA – Electronic reporting deadline approaching

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by OSHA

US Department of Labor reminds specific employers to submit
required 2021 injury, illness data by March 2, 2022

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reminds employers that the agency began collecting calendar year 2021 Form 300A data on Jan. 2, 2022. Employers must submit the form electronically by March 2, 2022.

Electronic submissions are required by establishments with 250 or more employees currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20-249 employees classified in specific industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses.

Visit the Injury Tracking Application Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Records to OSHA for more information and a link to the Injury Tracking Application.

Photo: OSHA

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.