OSHA Wants Employee Work Accident Reports Made Public

Sam Hananel, Associated Press, http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/ap-source-osha-wants-safety-040900507–finance.html, reports that the Labor Department wants companies to begin filing all employee workplace accidents that cause injury and illness to be reported electronically so that the public has access to this information.According to Hananel, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will announce the plan in November, 2013 as part of a proposed rule that would change the way companies currently file safety records.

Such a plan would provide helpful information to hopefully prevent workplace accidents and illnesses. The plan would only apply to companies with more than 250 employees.

Although the plan is expected to please employee, unions, labor and workplace safety groups, business groups are expected to oppose it. Under current rules, employers are required to post summaries of injury and illness reports in a common area where they can be seen by employees.