New OSHA Workplace Injury Reporting Requirements Are Creating More Transparency about Workplace Injuries

Silverman, McDonald & Friedman helps injured workers throughout Delaware obtain the benefits the needs in order to protect themselves and their families. To schedule your consultation with a Newark, Seaford or Wilmington workers’ compensation attorney, contact us today.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) has issued a final rule with the intention of modernizing the way in which it collects workplace injury data, and how it keeps workers, employers, the public and OSHA informed about workplace hazards. The new rule goes into effect on August 10, 2016, employers who have 20 or more employees in hazardous industries, and all employers who have 250 or more employees in any industry, must report the injury and illness data electronically by July 1, 2017. OSHA will then remove any personally identifiable information about the employees and then make the information available to the public.

OSHA is issuing this rule with the hope that making workplace injury information public will “nudge” employers to pay more attention to workplace safety. The new rule prohibits employers from discouraging employees from reporting injuries or illnesses. Employers must now inform employees of their right to report workplace injuries and illnesses without fear of retaliation.

As an employee, you have the right to expect that your workplace will be safe, and that your employer follows OSHA regulations to mitigate potential hazards inherent in the kind of work that you do. Now, thanks to these new rules, you will be able to remain informed about injury reports in your workplace, and at potential workplaces for those who are applying for a job.

If you should sustain a workplace injury, make sure that you report the injury and the incident or accident immediately to your employer. For serious injuries that will require medical attention or hospitalization your employer will direct you as to how to complete a workers’ compensation claim.

Workers’ compensation benefits include medical expenses related to the workplace accident, partial wage-replacement disability benefit payments, payments for loss of use of specific body parts from an injury on the job, and death benefits to the surviving family of those who lose their lives in a workplace accident or from an occupational disease.

In the event of any kind of dispute with your employer’s insurer or the Delaware Workers’ Compensation Commission, you may want to schedule a no-obligation consultation with a qualified, Delaware workers’ compensation attorney from Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, who will represent your interests and make sure that you get the compensation you deserve when you have suffered a workplace injury.

Is your workplace as safe as it could be? Might there be injuries that are going unreported? At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we protect our clients’ rights and help them to get the compensation that they deserve when they sustained a serious injury in the workplace. Please call 302-888-2900 or complete our contact form to make an appointment for a no obligation consultation at our offices in Wilmington, Newark or Seaford.