February 10, 2003—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a reminder to employees that it is time to post injury/illness summaries. Beginning in 2003, employers with 11 or more employees need to post the new OSHA 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.
The summary is based on the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2002 and were logged on the OSHA 300 form. Companies with no injuries and illnesses in 2002 should post the form with zeros on the total line. Summaries should remain posted from February 1 to April 30, 2003, and be displayed in a common area.
The summary includes information on type of injury and illness, extent, and outcome, and alerts employees to possible hazards. Employment information regarding annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year is also required to assist in calculating incidence rates.
Employers with ten or fewer employees and employers in certain industry groups are normally exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements. A complete list of exempt industries in the retail, services, finance, and real estate sectors is posted on OSHA’s Web site.
Exempted employers may still be selected by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics to participate in an annual statistical survey. For more information, visit OSHA.
