Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a new rule that would require companies, beginning with those that have 250 or more employees, to send in their injury and illness information electronically four times a year.
• The rule would not require companies to keep any more information than they have to keep now, but they currently submit it in writing once a year.
• OSHA is also looking for annual electronic data from companies that have 20 or more employees, manufacturers, or those in construction or 69 other industries "with historically high rates of occupational injury and illness."

Dive Insight:

What OSHA says it's looking for is faster data collection about accidents so it can do more to try to reduce them. The small companies now get a survey every three years, so OSHA wants annual collection. In addition to construction, the group of 70 includes building-materials suppliers and companies that service buildings. OSHA says everyone on the list has "2 or more serious injuries and illnesses per 100 full time employees."