Home Health & Hospice Week

Keep close tabs on your employee count if you are anywhere close to the reporting threshold.

Regardless of your size, act now to ensure you not only comply with OSHA’s latest reporting change, but that your existing recordkeeping is secure to limit your liability.

Why it’s important: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to publicly post limited company-specific information from the data it receives (see story, this page). The agency’s intent is for others to make more informed decisions about a workplace’s health and safety. In addition, the feds expect researchers to use the data to identify patterns and make changes to improve workplace conditions.

Think about this: Plus, once OSHA has your data, it can potentially review it for discrepancies. Depending on the type of error, the agency could even issue citations or monetary penalties. This means you should ensure your data capture process is right, whether or not you send the data.

In light of the regulation, wise providers will:

1. Determine whether OSHA’s new regulation applies to you, either by exceeding 249 employees or being in an industry listed in last July’s final rule.

2. Assess recordkeeping procedures, regardless of whether you electronically report. Ensure care is taken and the data is complete and accurate across all forms.

3. Conduct ongoing internal audits to identify recordkeeping issues or potential injury trends before OSHA does. Take immediate action to address issues found.

4. Pay close attention to employee counts throughout the year. Changes can impact your reporting status.