On December 12, 2024, OSHA announced the release of comprehensive data on more than 890,000 workplace injuries and illnesses at more than 91,000 workplaces in calendar year 2023, including incident-level details on the conditions and circumstances of injuries and illness events. This data was collected under the Severe Injury Report Dashboard, an online tool used to track severe injuries. As defined by OSHA, severe injuries include in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, or loss of an eye. The dashboard enables detailed searches of reported severe injuries dating back to 2015 using the following search filters:
- Year
- Industry
- State
- Establishment Name,
- Event or Exposure
- Source
- Nature
- Body part
Potential Risks for Employers:
The dashboard carries significant implications for employers. The public availability of injury data can be leveraged by the media for stories, by unions to target employers for organization efforts, and by personal injury attorneys to identify potential clients and targets. Employers should take proactive steps to avoid exposure on the dashboard.
How Employers Can Mitigate Exposure:
- Accurate Record-Keeping of OSHA 300 Logs: It is imperative for employers to maintain accurate OSHA 300 logs. Errors or omissions in these logs can misrepresentation of a company’s safety practices.
- Know What to Report: Employers must be well-versed in the specifics of OSHA’s reporting requirements. Federal law mandates that employers record and report certain types of injuries. Understanding what needs to be recorded or reported and what does not need to be recorded or reported is crucial.
Subscribe to OSHA Insights to get the latest updates on this new rule and other OSHA news sent straight to your inbox.