WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, according to a press release.

This proposed rule clarifies an employer’s “continuing obligation to make and maintain an accurate record of each recordable injury and illness throughout the five-year period during which the employer is required to keep the records,” stated the release.

OSHA issued the rule in light of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s decision in AKM LLC v. Secretary of Labor (Volks), reported the release, which clarifies its longstanding position that “the duty to record an injury or illness continues for as long as the employer must keep records of the recordable injury or illness.”

“Accurate records are not simply paperwork, but have an important, in fact life-saving, purpose,” said OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels in the release. “They will enable employers, employees, researchers and the government to identify and eliminate the most serious workplace hazards — ones that have already caused injuries and illnesses to occur.”

The proposed rule was published in the July 29 issue of the Federal Register, noted the release, and the public can submit written comments on the proposal by Sept. 25.

You can find the release here.