2004 OSHA Outlook for Small Business: More Workplace Injuries, New Mandatory Forms

Workplace safety and labor law experts at G.Neil Corp. advise U.S. small businesses to make sure they are using the legally correct OSHA forms for recording them. New mandatory OSHA forms were required as of January 1, 2004.

Sunrise, FL (PRWEB) February 6, 2004 --OSHA Outlook for Small Business:
More Workplace Injuries, New Mandatory Forms

Workplace safety and labor law experts at G.Neil Corp. advise U.S. small businesses to expect more employee injuries in 2004, and to make sure they are using the legally correct OSHA forms for recording them.

Smaller firms must be prepared, says Christopher Lindekugel, G.Neils compliance director, or run the risk of OSHA fines, employee medical bills and workers compensation costs.

When workers are well-trained and know what theyre doing, the injury rate is lower because their knowledge and experience reduce the risk of danger," he explained. As the economy grows, there will be more and more people performing unfamiliar jobs, so the risk of accidents and injuries will be much greater."

OSHA Says 'Serious Violations Up

OSHA requires firms with 11 or more employees (except those in certain low-risk industries such as finance and real estate) to maintain a log and summary of all recordable" work-related injuries and illnesses.

In 2003, OSHA cited U.S. employers for 83,760 safety and health violations, Lindekugel said, an increase of almost 8 percent from 2002. Almost 60,000 of the violations were serious," an increase of 11 percent from 2002.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. workers missed 1.46 million days of productive time because of on-the-job injuries in 2001,he added. Multiply that by the National Safety Councils estimated cost to an employer of $29,000 per incident, and the total for the year is almost $70 billion.

New Mandatory OSHA Form

Lindekugel also pointed out that covered employers need to make sure theyre using the proper documentation to record workplace incidents, because businesses that dont follow the regs can be subject to citations and fines."

OSHAs Form 300, a daily log of workplace injuries and illnesses for a calendar year, had several revisions including a new column covering hearing loss. Additionally, the posting dates for the 2004 Form 300A were extended for two more months.

G.Neil, which has specialized in labor law and safety products for more than 15 years, produces an exclusive OSHA Recordkeeping System to help business owners and managers comply with OSHA regulations. It also offers OSHA guidebooks, software, tip sheets, safety training tools, and related products via catalog or on its website, www.gneil.com.

As experts in workplace compliance and safety, we are constantly monitoring OSHA and other federal agencies to make updates to our products," Lindekugel said. We know you cant be careless about OSHA and workplace safety. Were a business with employees, too."

Based in suburban Fort Lauderdale, Fla., privately held G.Neil Corp. develops and markets more than 7,000 tools to manage and motivate people" to more than 1 million customers worldwide. It specializes in products that keep employers out of court, along with HR forms and software, pre-employment and substance testing, workplace safety solutions, and employee motivation products.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Chris Lindekugel
G.Neil Corporation
954-846-8899
http://www.gneil.com
###