Injury and Illness Recordkeeping by Employers

As you probably already know, employers have many responsibilities in the workplace, many of which revolve around keeping employees safe from harm and warning of potential hazards. Employers must always communicate with their employees and offer them assistance when they have been injured in the workplace. But, an employer may have other responsibilities as well, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). They must always keep records of injuries and illnesses sustained by employees.

Who is Required to Keep Record?

If an employer has more than 10 employees, they are required to keep a record of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. Minor injuries requiring first aid are exempt from this rule, but anything else applies. The reason that OSHA requires this is because employers and OSHA can gain a better understanding of how to evaluate the safety of a workplace, understand hazards in their industry, and create protections for workers that will help eliminate hazards completely. Prevention is key in the workplace in regards to injuries and illnesses.

Records of injuries and illness must be maintained at the worksite for a minimum of five years. OSHA requires employers to post a summary of the injuries and illnesses recorded from the previous year each February through April. If a worker fatality occurs, an employer has 8 hours to report it. If there is an amputation or loss of an eye, they must report within 24 hours.

Employers have standards they must abide by in the workplace. Because worksite accidents happen every year, OSHA works hand-in-hand with employees and employers to assure safety standards. Call us today for more information if you have been injured in the workplace and want to know where to turn.