End of 2004 Is the Time for Businesses to Get Their Mandatory OSHA Recordkeeping Done

In 2004, revised OSHA rules for keeping records on workplace injuries and illnesses took effect, with new forms that must be used and new categories of information that must be reported. If you havent been keeping up, it could cost you.

SUNRISE, FL (PRWEB) November 30, 2004 -- As the final days of 2004 dwindle down, workplace safety and labor law experts at G.Neil Corp. advise business owners and operators to make sure they complete all their mandatory OSHA recordkeeping responsibilities.

Smaller firms must be especially thorough and accurate with their documentation, says Christopher Lindekugel, G.Neils compliance director, or run the risk of OSHA fines, big employee medical bills and higher workers compensation costs.

In 2004, revised OSHA rules for keeping records on workplace injuries and illnesses took effect," Lindekugel noted, with new forms that must be used and new categories of information that must be reported. If you havent been keeping up, it could cost you."

Who Is Covered by These OSHA Regs?
OSHA requires private-sector firms with 11 or more employees (except those in certain low-risk industries such as finance and real estate) to maintain a 365-day log and an annual 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 those violations were categorized as 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.

Mandatory OSHA Form Was Revised
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 documentation of needlestick" injuries, tuberculosis cases, and a new category of privacy concern cases" in which the recordkeeping remains confidential.

G.Neil, which has specialized in labor law and safety products for more than 16 years, produces an exclusive OSHA Recordkeeping System to help business owners and managers comply with OSHA regulations. It also offers OSHA guidebooks, exclusive MyBiz OSHA 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. Visit http://www.gneil.com for more information.