service, finance, insurance, and real estate sectors that are classified as low hazard are 

from most requirements of the rule as are small businesses with 10 or fewer employees

The revised rule takes effect January 1, 2002, except for provisions covering hearin

musculoskeletal disorders, which OSHA is delaying for 1 year — until January 1, 2003 

the agency reconsiders these issues. The new rule improves employee involvement, ca

greater employee privacy protection, creates simpler forms, provides clearer regulatory

requirements, and allows employers more flexibility to use computers to meet OSHA re

requirements. Following is a brief summary of key provisions of the rule.

■ Updates three recordkeeping forms:

● OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses); simplified and prin

smaller, legal size paper.

● OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report); includes more data about ho

or illness occurred.

● OSHA Form 300A (Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses); a new form 

make it easier to post and calculate incidence rates.

■ Provides a single set of recording criteria for both work-related injuries and work-rela

illnesses. (The former rule required employers to record all illnesses, regardless of se

■ Requires records to include a work-related injury or illness resulting in one of the follo

death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treat

beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or diagnosis of a significant injury or illness by 

physician or other licensed health care professional.

■ Includes new definitions of medical treatment, first aid, and restricted work to simplify 

decisions.

■ Requires a significant degree of aggravation before a preexisting injury or illness is c

work related.

■ Adds further exceptions to the definition of work-relatedness to limit recording of case

eating and drinking of food and beverages, common colds and flu, blood donations, e

programs, mental illnesses, etc.

■ Clarifies the recording of “light duty” or restricted work cases. Requires employers t

cases when the injured or ill employee is restricted from “routine job functions,” whic

defined as work activities the employee regularly performs at least once weekly.

■ Requires employers to record all needlestick and sharps injuries involving contaminati

another person’s blood or other potentially infectious materials.
Protects employee privacy by (1) prohibiting employers from entering an individuals 

Form 300 for certain types of injuries or illnesses (e.g., sexual assaults, HIV infection

illnesses); (2) allowing employers not to describe the nature of sensitive injuries wher

employee’s identity would be known; (3) giving employee representatives access only 

portion of Form 301 that contains no personal information; and (4) requiring employe

remove employees’ names before providing the data to persons not provided access 

under the rule.

■ Requires the annual summary to be posted for 3 months instead of 1. Requires certif

the summary by a company executive.

■ Excludes some public transportation and motor vehicle accidents from the reporting o

andcatastrophes.

■ States that operate their own job safety and health programs will be adopting compar

recordkeeping rules that will also be effective January 1, 2002. States must have the 

requirements for which injuries and illnesses are recordable and how they are record

However, other provisions, such as industry exemptions, may be different as long as t

stringent as the federal requirements.

U.S. Department of Labor

Occupational Safety

and Health Administration

2001