UPDATE: This compliance deadline has been extended to November 1, 2016.

We are sending this alert to assist our clients with meeting the upcoming August compliance date for a new rule issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") concerning electronic collecting and reporting of recordable workplace injuries and illnesses.

The rule requires employers to report recordable injuries and illnesses to OSHA through the agency's website, representing a continuation of what some industry observers perceive as an effort by OSHA to "nudge" employers into workplace safety compliance. The first submission deadlines are set for July 1, 2017, and the OSHA database will create the largest publicly-available data set on recordable injuries and illnesses.

On or before August 10, 2016, employers who will be subject to the new electronic submission regulation must institute a "reasonable procedure" that allows prompt reporting of employee injuries and illnesses. One way for employers to meet this requirement is by posting the "It's The Law" worker rights poster created and updated by OSHA. The most up-to-date version of that poster can be found here.