OSHA is changing their recordkeeping requirements for 2017.  The new rule, which takes effect Jan 1, 2017, requires certain companies to electronically submit their injury and illness data.  The data to be transmitted is the same information that is currently being logged.

The compliance schedule is detailed on the United States Department of Labor website.

Compliance schedule:
The new reporting requirements will be phased in over two years.
Establishments with 250 or more employees in industries covered by the recordkeeping regulation must submit information 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 2.
Establishments 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 2.

Workplace Integra is committed to making the required changes to our Workplace Applications software customers, so they can comply with this new rule.

OSHA will allow the following methods of transmitting this data:
• Manual entry of data into a webform
• CSV file upload
• Transmission of data through an API

The actual OSHA website will not go live until February 2017, so we will be unable to complete our software changes until then.   However, it appears that there are no changes in the forms themselves, so the last OSHA form revision (Rev 01/2004) will still be used in the software.

We will make the necessary software changes to allow for the upload of the 300A form through a CSV file or through the API as soon as we can obtain the documentation.   An update will be available to our Workplace Applications software users under their current maintenance agreement.

David Pinchot, President