On September 11, 2014, federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced new requirements for reporting severe injuries and updates for the list of industries exempt from recordkeeping requirements. These new rules are effective in federal OSHA states on January 1, 2015.

States like Michigan operating their own OSHA program must promulgate standards which are at least as effective as the federal standards within six months of their publication in the Federal Register. Michigan intends to adopt the new federal rules by reference.

The new federal OSHA changes will require employers to file a detailed report within eight hours of fatal workplace accidents. Severe on-the-job injuries that do not result in death but require hospitalization must be reported within 24 hours. Such reports must be filed regardless of the size of the business.

Currently, the regulations require such reports only if a worker was killed or three or more workers were hospitalized as a result of a workplace accident. The new 24-hour reporting requirement includes all work-related hospitalizations, amputations or loss of an eye. All employers, including those partially exempted by reason of company size or industry classification, will be required to comply with the new severe injury and illness reporting requirements. 

The new federal regulation maintains the current exemption for any employer with 10 or fewer workers from the requirement to maintain the 300 logs of worker injuries and illnesses.  The new rule also updates the list of employers partially exempt from OSHA recordkeeping requirements.

Federal OSHA offers online resources to those new to illness and injury recordkeeping.

Gov. Rick Snyder today issued the following statement after the announcement that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August fell to 7.4 percent.

"Michigan continues to make solid progress and I'm encouraged to see the gains we have consistently made over time. August's unemployment rate declined to 7.4 percent, matching the April rate -- which was our state's lowest since 2008. The changes we have made are working and are moving forward.

"But we have more to do because we are focused on long-term success. We must continue setting the environment for businesses to grow and thrive, creating more and better jobs. We must continue strengthening our schools and universities to make sure students are learning in-demand skills that will prepare them for careers of today and long into Michigan's bright future."