OSHA Forms Get a Makeover For 2004
03/06/07
Sure, you’ve got a mountain of paperwork to clear from your desk one of these days. But somewhere in there you’ll probably find an important news release from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). And, if you have 11 or more employees, this is one document you will want to keep.
A refresher course on OSHA
Every year, thousands of workers become ill or injured on the job. Should this happen in your workplace, you must record the incident on a special form detailing information about the injured person, that person’s treating physician and specific details about the event. This form is known as OSHA Form 301 — Injury and Illness Incident Report.
After Form 301 is completed, you also must log the event on OSHA Form 300. This log records information about work-related injuries and the extent of each case, and is one of the first documents OSHA reviews during an inspection.
Each injury or illness must be recorded on Forms 300 and 301 within seven calendar days after receiving notice that an injury or illness occurred. Finally, each year between February 1 and April 30, you must post OSHA Form 300A: a summary of the previous year’s Form 300.
OK, here’s that big change we promised you
In a recent news release (that one hidden somewhere on your desk), OSHA announced that mandatory revisions made to Forms 300 and 300A were effective as of January 1, 2004.
To make sure you’re using the new forms and not the old ones, look for “(rev. 1/2004)” next to the form number.
The new Form 300 includes:
The addition of an occupational hearing loss column.
The “days away from work” column appearing before “days on job transfer or restriction.”
Clearer formulas for calculating incidence rates.
New recording criteria for occupational hearing loss in the “Overview” section.
A more prominent heading, “Classify the Case,” which clarifies that employers should mark only one selection from the four columns offered.
And that’s not the only form that will look different
Remember the OSHA 300A report that summarizes the previous year’s work-related injuries? You should continue to post this form in February 2004 for incidents that occurred in 2003. However, beginning in February 2005, you’ll need to post a new Form 300A, which includes the new column on hearing loss.
We know how confusing it can be to fill out OSHA forms. That’s why we’ve made it easy on you with our OSHA Recordkeeping System, an all-in-one solution with everything you need to comply. It includes an Updated 2004 Recordkeeping Assistant, an Updated 2004 OSHA Form 300, an Updated 2004 OSHA Form 300A, Accident/Illness Reports equivalent to OSHA Form 301, an Updated OSHA Recordkeeping Answer Book and a Recordkeeping Folder. MyBiz OSHA software is also available for your convenience.
If you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-999-9111 and speak to one of our HR Specialists.
2004 OSHA Recordkeeping System
Regular Price $69.99
Member price $55.99
My Biz OSHA Software
Regular Price $149.00
Member price $99.00