Beware of Proposed Tracking Rule
We agree with the president. “If we cannot trust the executive branch with our data, we’re going to have some problems.”
Miles Free
“The proposal does not add any new requirement to keep records; it only modifies an employer’s obligation to transmit these records to OSHA.”- OSHA Director David Michaels.
Warning to employers: When government officials only give you half the story, you are not getting the full truth. What is the rest of the story?
Take a look at item II.2. e in the federal register notice of the NPRM:
Why does the federal government insist that private industry guard privacy rights, when it is the biggest offender regarding the publication of private data?
As employers, we agree that injuries and illnesses should be tracked and reported to officials for official purposes. We disagree that the data reported for statistical and enforcement purposes should be broadly disseminated and made accessible for those with no regulatory need.
The president famously said, ”If you can’t trust government, we’re going to have some problems.”
Telling employers that, “The proposal does not add any new requirement to keep records, it only modifies an employer’s obligation to transmit these records to OSHA” is disingenuous at best.
OSHA will hold an informal public meeting on the improved tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses proposed rule on January 9, 2014, in Washington D.C. A Federal Register notice announcing the public meeting will be published shortly.
We need to tell them that we object to this proposal. An agency that says the only thing that changed is how we transmit the records to OSHA while it intends to publish them online is not telling the whole truth.
We agree with the president. “If we cannot trust the executive branch with our data, we’re going to have some problems.”
Originally posted on PMPAspeakingofprecision.com blog.
