Employer knowledge of federal requirements for recording work-related injuries and illnesses: Implications for occupational injury surveillance data

Abstract

Background: Accuracy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) data is dependent on employer compliance with workplace injury and illness recordkeeping requirements. Characterization of employer recordkeeping can inform efforts to improve the data.

Methods: We interviewed representative samples of SOII respondents from four states to identify common recordkeeping errors and to assess employer characteristics associated with limited knowledge of the recordkeeping requirements and non compliant practices.

Results: Less than half of the establishments required to maintain OSHA injury and illness records reported doing so. Few establishments knew to omit cases limited to diagnostic services (22%) and to count unscheduled weekend days as missed work (27%). No single state or establishment characteristic was consistently associated with better or worse record-keeping.

Conclusion: Many employers possess a limited understanding of workplace injury recordkeeping requirements, potentially leading them to over-report minor incidents, and under-report missed work cases.

Keywords: BLS survey of occupational injuries and illnesses; OSHA injury record keeping; employer reporting; surveillance; under-reporting; work-related injury.