On April 18, 2024, OSHA released its injury and illness data from 2023 that it gathered under its “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses” regulation published July 2023. This regulation exposes businesses to new risks, with OSHA relying on the data to identify workplaces to inspect and making the data publicly available to those who may be interested in it. Notably, the sweeping disclosure includes detailed reports from over 375,000 establishments, accessible not only to OSHA but also, to everyone else, including personal injury attorneys, union representatives, the media, and other parties looking to leverage this information.
Reporting employers must now be extra vigilant in ensuring their OSHA recordkeeping data is accurate to avoid the pitfalls associated with this new data collection and disclosure effort—including OSHA inspections and other attempts to infiltrate the facility and the workforce.
Key Takeaways:
- Ensure strict accuracy in OSHA injury data to avoid unnecessary OSHA inspections and unwanted attention from unions, attorneys, and the media.