An online blog posted information on Monday about OSHA’s National Emphasis Program (NEP) on recordkeeping which will address workplace injury and illness underreporting problems. The NEP will cover states that are under federal OSHA’s jurisdiction but state plan OSHA programs are also encouraged to have their own initiatives. The program will begin this month.
With this, establishments in high rate industries but with low incidence rates as well as a sample of construction firms will be inspected over the next 12 months. Inspections will be done through review of files and interview of employees, employers, recordkeepers and health care providers. Aside from recordkeeping issues, hazards consistent with the injuries and illnesses will also be determined through a walk-around inspection.
To prevent citations, follow these reminders:
If you are an employer, make sure that your workplace has a system for reporting injuries and illnesses. Review this system regularly to ensure its effectiveness. Before an inspection, review past cases such as those that occurred in 2007 and 2008 and check that all OSHA forms are accurate with workers’ compensation reports and claims.
If you are an employee, be reminded that you are protected by the Whistle Blower Protection Program. If your employer discourages you from reporting new cases or do not follow rules on recordkeeping, do not hesitate to let OSHA know.
If you are a facility recordkeeper, refresh your knowledge on proper and effective recordkeeping by reviewing the regulations and constantly referring to OSHA’s recordkeeping handbook. Be trained and re-trained.
If you are a health care provider, see to it that you record ALL injury and illness cases as well as the treatments provided. If medical records will be coming from the outside, check their authenticity.
Recordkeeping is an essential area of communication in any workplace and in any circumstance. Everyone concerned should do their part well in ensuring that this is done properly and effectively. As Louie the lawyer, Safety Services Company’s mascot, says – Document it!
I am the safety coordinator for the company that I work for. Daily safety meetings are the key. The first thing that we discuss every morning, are any near miss accidents or hazardous observations from the previous days work, followed by plenty of discussion by everyone attending the meeting. This practice draws attention to safety first at the beginning of each day. This meeting is followed by every individual crew meeting amongst themselves and talking about the tasks that they will be doing, the hazards associated with these tasks and the protection that will be used. This is called a Job Safety Analisis.