SC OSHA reminds employers to post injury and illness summaries beginning February 1, 2018

South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (SC OSHA) is reminding employers to post OSHA Form 300A, which lists a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during 2017. The form must be posted between February 1 and April 30, 2018.

The summary must include the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2017 and were logged on OSHA Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. To assist in calculating incidence rates, information about the annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year is also required. If a company recorded no injuries or illnesses in 2017, the employer must enter "zero" on the total line. The form must be signed and certified by a company executive. Form 300A should be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted.

Employers with 10 or fewer employees and employers in certain industries are normally exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements. A complete list of exempt industries in the retail, services, finance, insurance and real estate sectors can be found at: Exempt Industries.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics may still select exempted employers to participate in an annual statistical survey. All employers covered by OSHA need to comply with safety and health standards. Employers must report work-related fatalities to the SC OSHA office (803-896-7672) within 8 hours of finding out about them. For any inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss that occurs within 24 hours of a work-related incident, employers must report the event within 24 hours of learning about it.

Copies of OSHA Forms 300 and 300A are available in either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet format. For more information on recordkeeping requirements, visit the OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements web page.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

CFOI Reports 96 Work-Related Deaths in 2016

Click here to read the CFOI report.

Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Records to SC OSHA

Federal OSHA electronic reporting requirements are not required for South Carolina employers. Any changes regarding the electronic reporting submission process will be updated on the SC OSHA webpage, http://osha.llr.sc.gov.

Crane Operator Certification Deadline Extended

OSHA issued a final rule to delay compliance deadline for crane operator certification requirements to November 10, 2018. By delaying the deadline for employers to ensure that crane operators are certified by one year, and by extending the employer duty to ensure crane operators are competent until that same date, the rule avoids disrupting the construction industry and allows OSHA time to complete a related crane standard rulemaking addressing these and other issues. News release: https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/11092017.

More information is available in the Federal Register notice.

SC OSHA will also follow Federal OSHA's compliance deadline extension.