OSHA to Launch Online Injury Tracking Application for Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Records on August 1

Workplace injury and illness reporting is required of companies with 250 or more employees, or businesses in “certain industries” that have 20-249 employees – and which tend to have a higher rate of occupational injuries and illness. The construction industry is among these “certain industries.”

OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) can be accessed online starting August 1, 2017, and should be used to submit information from an OSHA Form 300A record of 2016 incidents of workplace-related injury and illness. The 300A form is not for submitting to OSHA, rather it’s a record-keeping log for employers to work from when submitting their information electronically.

In late June, OSHA extended the deadline from July 1, 2017 to December 1, 2017 for companies required to report workplace injuries and illness that occurred in 2016. Information on workplace injuries and illness during calendar year 2017 must be submitted electronically to OSHA no later than July 1, 2018. Starting in 2019 and going forward, the deadline for reporting the previous year’s data will be March 2.

OSHA estimates it will take employers with 250 or more employees about 10 minutes to create their online account, 10 minutes to enter information from Form 300A, and 12 minutes to enter each recorded incident of injury or illness. Note that OSHA will not accept paper submissions; only electronic reporting is accepted. OSHA is expected to provide an interface for employers to also submit data from a mobile device.

The secure website will provide users with three options to choose from when submitting their data:

• Data can be entered manually into an online form.
• Users can upload a CSV file for single or multiple establishments at one time.
• Those with automated recordkeeping can transmit their data electronically using an Application Programming Interface (API).

The agency will provide more information on these options as it becomes available. In the meantime, OSHA’s Injury and Illness Reporting page includes instructions and CSV templates/files, as well as API technical specifications and a list of Frequently Asked Questions.