Reduce Anxiety Filing OSHA 300A Reports

July 1, 2018 is the deadline for all required establishments to submit their Calendar Year 2017 Form 300A to OSHA.  Don’t sweat it!  Below is helpful information on filing your report by the deadline.

Any establishments that employ 250 or more employees and are currently required to keep records of occupational injuries and illnesses must electronically file their 300A report to OSHA by the July 1, 2018 deadline.  Establishments with 20-249 employees that are classified in certain industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses are also required to file.  However, some establishments are exempt from this reporting requirement. For further information on specific NAICS code/industry exemptions, click 20-249 Employee Businesses Filing Requirement to determine if your company needs to electronically file its 2017 300A Report. You can learn more about the entire electronic filing requirement at OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements.

OSHA provides a secure website, the ITA – Injury Tracking Application, that allows three different types of OSHA 300A submissions. The FIRST option allows an establishment to manually enter each incident and illness. The SECOND option allows an establishment to “batch upload CSV files” one at a time or multiples at once. The THIRD option allows any establishment that uses an automated recordkeeping system to transfer data electronically by using an API (Application Programming Interface).

IMPORTANT: OSHA IS NOT ACCEPTING ANY 300 OR 301 RECORDS AND WILL SOON REMOVE THE TWO FROM THEIR COLLECTION FORMS.

It is imperative that establishments required to report occupational injuries and illnesses take the time to train employees on the proper incident reporting method. This will help ensure that as the OSHA reporting deadline approaches all paperwork is ready for submission, thus further reducing anxiety!

With the advancement of technology and most all reports/reporting in digital format, including OSHA 300 logs, employers should consider using an automated recordkeeping system. This allows consistency in the way reports are created, as well as allows companies to get a quick glance at what incidents are occurring and how frequently – critical in effective safety program management. Using an automated recordkeeping system allows companies to further advance as a company and prevent future incidents by keeping a close eye on what is happening on their job sites.

SMART Safety Group is both knowledgeable and proficient in providing support for electronic filing of OSHA 300A reports. Most important, SMART can develop a customized ‘turnkey’ safety program management solution that significantly reduces incidents and injuries, ensures OSHA compliance and drives effective safety behavior and culture across your organization. To learn more click Safety Program Management.