By Chuck Wigger, Safety Director, Lamar Advertising Company, and a member of OAAA’s safety committee.

I was (pleasantly) surprised to learn of a change in federal record-keeping requirements for minor injuries.  This is good news, which I’m pleased to share.

Without fanfare, the US Department of Labor has partially exempted “advertising and related service” (which includes billboards) from keeping records on illness and non-fatal injuries.

Similarly, a wide variety of work places also are partially exempt from this type of record keeping, including gas stations, florists, and schools.

Partial record-keeping exemptions for advertising services went into effect January 1, 2015.

Here’s what this exemption means:

• Record-keeping remains important, but we were unnecessarily keeping too many records, regarding routine illnesses and minor injuries.
• You must continue to report workplace fatalities and injuries that result in amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of an eye.
• Also, federal authorities (Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics) or state agencies operating under OSHA authority can ask you — in writing — to keep injury and illness records.

Bottom line:  safety remains imperative.  The industry’s compliance record is strong, and our commitment to safety should not waiver.  As we continue to emphasize safety and invest in safety, we should know that OSHA does not require most outdoor advertising companies to maintain logs on workplace injuries and illnesses any longer.

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