OSHA’s January 25, 2019 final rule changed what some large workplaces had to send the agency, not what they had to record. Establishments with 250 or more employees that were required to keep injury and illness records no longer had to electronically submit details from Forms 300 and 301. They still had to maintain those records on-site and make them available to OSHA. [shared-289b3989ec6755da3cdd23b6daa9fcec6cee887754cb9b1a4882586e3d26e5e2]
The distinction matters to workers whose injuries appear in those detailed logs: less routine transfer to federal systems may reduce exposure of sensitive descriptions, OSHA said, but the rule did not measure whether privacy improved. Nor did it end electronic reporting. Covered employers continued filing the annual Form 300A summary; certain industries with 20–249 employees also remained in that reporting group. Reporting after severe injuries continued as well. [shared-289b3989ec6755da3cdd23b6daa9fcec6cee887754cb9b1a4882586e3d26e5e2]
For employers, the change removed a data-submission step while preserving recordkeeping and inspection obligations. OSHA said it would use summary data and severe-injury reports for enforcement and assistance. The rule was published January 25 and generally took effect February 25, 2019—not immediately. Whether summary-level information can support effective oversight while better protecting workers’ details remains the central trade-off. [shared-289b3989ec6755da3cdd23b6daa9fcec6cee887754cb9b1a4882586e3d26e5e2]