OSHA is requesting public comments on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking announced in the June 22 Federal Register that updates two aspects of the agency’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements for work-related injuries and illnesses. Comments must be submitted by Sept. 20, 2011. See the Federal Register notice for details on how to submit comments.

Under the proposal, employers would be required to report to OSHA any work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations within eight hours, and work-related amputations within 24 hours. Under the current regulation, employers are required to report any work-related fatality and only work-related in-patient hospitalizations of three or more workers and are not required to report amputations.

OSHA is also proposing to update Appendix A of the recordkeeping rule (Part 1904 Subpart B) that lists industries partially exempt from the requirements to maintain work-related injury or illness logs because of their relatively low injury and illness rates. The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system used in the current list of industries would be replaced by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) used by most federal agencies. See the news release and Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.