You wouldn’t use a gage that measures in 0.001″ increments for a requirement in 0.0001.” Why tolerate similar inaccuracies in your OSHA reporting work product?
Guest Post by James Pryor II, American Safety and Health Management Consultants, Inc.
Here are 5 tips to help keep your OSHA 300 up to requirements:
- Record ALL hours worked by ALL employees covered by the records – Hourly , Salary, Part Time, and Temporary.
- If necessary, estimate by multiplying the average number of workers by 2000 to obtain hours worked.
- Verify hours by confirming against what amount was paid to unemployment insurance.
- If the hours you report are too low (underestimated) the incidence rate will be too high.
- If the hours you report are too high (overestimated) the incidence rate will be too low.
Why is the incidence rate so important? It is the go / no go gage that will determine whether or not your shop safety program gets a pass or a closer look. The DayAway and Restricted Time Report is a listing that is closely examined by OSHA. Too high an Incidence Rate will indicate a need for a review. Too low an incidence rate could give a false picture of your safety performance and lead to unintended consequences.
We don’t really have the technology to do a long form Gage R&R on your safety paperwork, but following these 5 tips will assure that your program “meets print.”
Use your passion for quality to assure high performance in all aspects of your shop’s safety program.The actionable information in your accurate OSHA 300 Log will help you continue to improve your shop’s safety performance.
Here is a link to our post on the 7 Indirect Costs of a Failed Safety Program.
Photo credit: Thanks Eighth Diary. Good luck with your work in the office!