As reported by the Employment Law Observer in June, OSHA has formally proposed to delay the July 1, 2017 deadline for electronic injury and illness reporting to December 1, 2017. Since announcing the delay, OSHA formally launched the Injury Tracking Application (ITA), which will serve as the secure website covered employers will use to electronically report mandatory injury and illness information. This was the missing piece preventing the July 1, 2017 deadline from taking effect, as OSHA had not set up the portal in advance of the original deadline. 

The ITA is already accessible, allowing employers to become familiar with the site before the electronic reporting deadline. To submit the required information, covered employers will first create an online account. Employers then need to create a profile for each of their establishments meeting the industry size and reporting criteria. Finally, employers will have three ways to submit their data: 1) by manual entry onto a web form; 2) by uploading a CSV file to simultaneously process single or multiple establishments; and 3) by transmitting data via an "application programming interface" (API), if the employer uses an automated record keeping system.

If you are a covered employer, we suggest accessing the ITA now, which you can do by clicking here. Navigate the site, and set up your company's account and profile in advance of the anticipated December 1, 2017 deadline. As with any new system and requirement, there are bound to be kinks in need of working out.  Best be prepared.