The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is publishing in the Federal Register today (June 22, 2011) a proposed rule to amend Appendix A in Subpart B of Its Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting regulation.

Appendix A contains a list of industries that are partially exempt from maintaining records of occupational injuries and illnesses, generally due to their relatively low rates of occupational injury and illness.The current list of industries is based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.  In 1997, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was introduced to classify establishments by industry. The proposed rule would update Appendix A by replacing it with a list of industries based on NAICS and more recent injury and illness data.

The proposed rule would also require employers to report to OSHA, within eight hours, all work-related fatalities and all work-related in-patient hospitalizations; and within 24 hours, all work-related amputations. The current regulation requires an employer to report to OSHA, within eight hours, all work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees.

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