US Department of Labor's OSHA to co-sponsor DIOSH Day, Illinois workplace safety and health conference in Peoria on February 27, 2019.

Peoria, Ill. – Construction safety, combustible dust, fall protection, crane safety, organizational change management and developing a safety culture will be featured topics at the workshops and breakout sessions of this year’s Downstate Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day. The event will be held Wednesday, February 27, at the Peoria Civic Center located at 201 Jefferson St. SW.

Written by Mary Hallock, IMEC Technical Specialist and OSHA Authorized Trainer

UPDATE (12/1/17) – OSHA has extended the deadline to December 15 for electronic reporting of injuries and illnesses.

ATTENTION: The OSHA electronic reporting of injury and illness records has gone into effect!

Certain employers are required to submit information from their completed 2016 Form 300A electronically from July 1, 2017 to December 1, 2017. Establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20-249 employees that are classified in certain industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses. Most manufacturers fall into those certain industries.

The electronic posting requirement for injury and illness logs has been delayed. The following is a quote from the OSHA website: "OSHA is not accepting electronic submissions of injury and illness logs at this time, and intends to propose extending the July 1, 2017 date by which certain employers are required to submit the information from their completed 2016 Form 300A electronically. Updates will be posted to this webpage when they are available."

How do you prioritize your safety program and improvements?

As a business leader, you understand the strict focus that's often required to make and keep your employees and the work environment a safe place. But sometimes it's hard to figure out how to focus the training and documentation efforts of your safety program. There is so much to do to make sure your employees understand the best safe practices.

Every year the US Department of Labor publishes the OSHA Top 10 Citations and violation categories. This is for your consideration and benefit!

Attention employers and neighbors!

OSHA has issued a call for vigilance as our workplace fatalities have increased 28% since 2013.

Thirty-six Illinois workers have died on the job since January 1, 2016. No one wants to place that phone call to a coworker’s loved one.

• Are you analyzing trends and conducting effective incident investigations?
• Are you being proactive with worksite analysis and staff education?
• Are you networking and learning best practices?

OSHA is asking all Illinois employers to review their safety and health programs and procedures carefully to avoid more workplace fatalities. Check out the U.S. Department of Labor’s October 5^th News Release.

OSHA has issued new reporting standards that will take effect in 2017. For those familiar with the 300, 300A and 301 forms that have been in place for many years, you will now be required to file some or all of those forms electronically. Learn more by visiting the OSHA webpage on the recordkeeping changes: https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/finalrule/index.html.