Occupational Safety & Health: Assuring Accuracy in Employer Injury and Illness Records

BLS conducts a census of fatal occupational injuries, using diverse state and federal data sources to identify, verify, and profile each workplace fatality. Information is obtained by cross-referencing source documents, such as death certificates, workers' compensation records, and reports to federal and state agencies. This is the fourth year that the fatality census has been conducted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The second part of the recommendation is no longer applicable to BLS; since 1990, OSHA's Office of Statistics has been responsible for developing guidelines for employers to record and report workplace injuries and illnesses and for ensuring that the guidelines are clear and understandable to users.

In March 1993, OSHA issued a draft directive--replacing its 1987 directive, which was too labor-intensive--to improve the accuracy of employers' records at the worksite. The directive consists of: (1) an outreach and information program to inform employers of their responsibilities and assist them in recording cases; (2) a mechanism that allows records verification through employee interviews and inspector reviews of additional site-specific information; and (3) enforcement of the recordkeeping requirements during OSHA inspections. OSHA issued the final directive in fiscal year 1995.