The recent changes to the OSHA record keeping rules that were issued a couple of weeks ago have been drawing quite a few negative comments from business and industry.
The new rule has a component requiring employers with more than 20 employees to electronically submit information about work-related injuries and illnesses.
The new rule allows for public dissemination of the reported information with certain personal information deleted. This “public disclosure” is not being received well for fears of increased litigation and excess transparency for competitors. The Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) recently issued commentary on the rule that speaks about the industry sentiment with the changes.
The rule changes were nicely summarized by the law firm Venable LLP.
Safety and management of work-related injuries is a critical part of any risk management program. The design and implementation of an injury prevention/safety program should be considered carefully taking into account the company’s injury trends, compliance requirements and include a comprehensive accident investigation program post injury. At The ALS Group, we are strong proponents of a comprehensive safety management program such as OSHAS 18000/18001, as we believe this aligns with a management process that supports a safe workplace.
We provide fee-based consultancy on a wide range of risk management issues including the creation of a comprehensive risk management program that includes proper risk identification, structuring the right insurance program, thoughtful and aggressive claims management and a safety program to avoid claims and work-place injuries. We are committed to an enterprise wide risk management approach that raises awareness and allows our clients to “avoid surprises”. If you would like to discuss your company’s risk program or have us conduct a Risk Management Assessment (RMA) please do not hesitate to contact me.
