OSHA Urged to Prevent Underreporting of Injuries, Fatalities
A report by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) must take steps to prevent under-reporting of fatalities and injuries and ensure employers correct identified hazards. In 2015, the agency implemented its severe injury reporting rule, which kept a mandate that all workplace fatalities be reported within eight hours but added a new requirement that employers report the hospitalization of a single employee — rather than three or more employees as previously required — as well as all amputations and loss of an eye within 24 hours. Between January 2015 and April 2017, employers reported 4,185 fatalities and 23,282 severe injuries to OSHA. However, the report said, "Estimates show employers do not report 50 percent or more of severe injuries. Moreover, OSHA did not consistently follow its policy to issue a citation when an employer failed to report work-related fatalities and severe injuries within the specified timeframes." The report recommends that OSHA develop formal guidance and train staff on how to detect and prevent underreporting of fatalities and severe injuries, consistently issue citations for late reporting, and clarify OSHA's guidance related to documentation of essential decisions, evidence required to demonstrate employers corrected all identified hazards, and requirements for monitoring employer-conducted investigations.