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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Sections

 


Participation requirements


  1. Is my response to this survey mandatory?▸

    • Participation in the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses  is mandated by OSHA for private employers. OSHA's recordkeeping advisor explains some of the regulations that apply. For state and local government employers, your state laws determine whether participation in the survey is mandatory. This information can be found on your survey form.

  2. Why have I been chosen to participate in this survey?▸

    • You were randomly selected with about 230,000 establishments across the country, representing establishments in different states, industries, and establishment sizes (number of employees). Your data will be used to provide statistics of workplace injuries and illnesses that inform research and policies to help protect America's workers.


Reporting your data


  1. How can I submit my information?▸
    • Online — instructions for how to submit information online can be found at https://www.bls.gov/respondents/iif/instructions.htm.
    • Phone — call the number listed on the front of your survey packet next to "For Help Call:"
    • Fax — forms to fax information can be found at https://www.bls.gov/respondents/iif/faxforms.htm.
    • Electronic file — contact us at osh.helpdesk@bls.gov for more information. Generally, large companies with multiple locations in the SOII would benefit most from this type of submission.
    • Postal mail — mail your completed survey form to the State address listed on your survey instructions.
  2. When does the survey need to be completed?▸

    • We request that you submit your data within 30 calendar days of receiving your survey instructions.

  3. The person who completed our survey last year is no longer with our company. What should I do?▸

    • Contact the State office where you are located and they will assist you in updating your contact information.

  4. How should I calculate the number of hours worked?▸

    • You should count the number of regular AND overtime hours worked by employees during the calendar year. You should exclude vacation, sick days, holidays, and any other non-work time.

      If you are uncertain of the precise number of hours worked (i.e., for salaried workers), then a reasonable estimate is an acceptable substitute. More information on this can be found here.

  5. Which employees should I count when providing the average number of employees for this survey?▸

    • You should count full-time employees, part-time employees, temporary workers, seasonal workers, salaried workers, and hourly workers.

      More information about this can be found here.

  6. Do I use calendar days or working days when calculating the length of injury or illness?▸

    • You should use calendar days when determining the length of a work-related injury or illness.

  7. I did not record my injuries and illnesses on the OSHA forms. What do I do?▸

    • If you did not record the necessary information on your OSHA forms, use any records you have available that includes the same information.

  8. What if an injury had both days away from work and days of job transfer or restriction?▸

    • According to OSHA recordkeeping rules, you should classify a case according to its most serious outcome. In this instance, you would classify this as a case with days away from work, while recording the number of days away from work AND days of job transfer or restriction in the corresponding columns on the survey form.

  9. We have multiple work sites, some in other States. Which should we report for?▸
    • Report only for the location(s) identified on the front page under "Report for:" Instructions on how to locate this section are located at https://www.bls.gov/respondents/iif/instructions.htm#frontpage.
    • If the instruction says "Report for: Statewide Operations of Addressed Firm" or something similar, report for all your work sites in that state. Do not include information for establishments in other states.
    • If you are not sure what to do, contact any of our state offices listed on one of the forms sent to you or email osh.helpdesk@bls.gov. State contact information is located on the upper right corner of the front of your survey form.
  10. An injured employee was sent to a clinic or urgent care facility. Should I record this as an emergency room visit?▸

    • No. For OSHA recordkeeping purposes (per guidance provided by OSHA), an emergency room is a facility staffed and equipped to provide emergency care to persons requiring immediate medical treatment. It can be either free standing or attached to a hospital. These facilities are almost always labeled as an "Emergency Room" or "ER".Urgent care facilities, health units, infirmaries, and visits to a general practitioner's (primary care physician's) office are NOT considered emergency room visits under this definition.

  11. How do I report cases of COVID-19?▸
  12. I received a notice in December; why am I receiving another notice in January?▸
    • These notices are for different reference (calendar) years.
    • The notice you received in December is a Notification of Requirement to Participate in the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. Keep OSHA records for the calendar year indicated on the notice. We will send instructions to report this information to us next January. No other action is needed for the notice of record keeping requirements.
    • The instructions you received in January are to report data that you have recorded for the last calendar year. Follow the instructions to report your data.
  13. The email I received said there should be another email with a PDF attachment, but I did not receive it.▸

    • Check your spam/junk folders. If the email containing the PDF is not in your spam/junk folder, some organizations block attachments from unfamiliar email addresses. Reach out to your IT department to see if this is the case and if they can release the email. If you still cannot locate the email, email osh.helpdesk@bls.gov for assistance.

  14. The PDF attached to the email opened, but it was completely blank.▸

    • This happens when the PDF is opened using certain software or in a web browser rather than a PDF reader on your computer (such as https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pdf-reader.html ). Try to open the PDF using different software. If this does not work, contact osh.helpdesk@bls.gov.

  15. I am responsible for reporting on multiple locations. How can I get all my organization's surveys sent directly to me?▸

    • Email osh.helpdesk@bls.gov to set up a centralized mailing agreement for the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).

  16. Do I need to report remote workers?▸

    • Yes. You should include any remote employees who would be recorded on the OSHA log of the surveyed establishment if the experienced a recordable injury or illness. Be sure to include the average number of employees and total hours worked for these remote workers as well.

  17. How do I keep OSHA records for remote workers?▸

Using the IDCF Application


  1. My User ID and/or password is not working from a previous year. What should I do?▸

    • The SOII samples establishments to participate each year and passwords are reset yearly after the annual SOII data collection closes. Create a new account for the year using the instructions for this year's survey. Contact your State Office or email osh.helpdesk@bls.gov if you have not received instructions. 

  2. I attempted to create an account on the IDCF website, but the account was already registered.▸
  3. I get an error message when I click on the "Forgot Password" button and enter my User ID in the IDCF. What should I do? ▸

    • Your user ID is reset annually. Your User ID from last year will no longer work. Enter your User ID in the following format 302XXXXXXXXX. This number is in the bottom right of the front page of your survey form. See https://www.bls.gov/respondents/iif/instructions.htm#label for details. Additionally, note that the SOII is a random sample survey and not all establishments are selected to participate each year. Contact our office in your state or email osh.helpdesk@bls.gov if you have not received instructions.

  4. Can I report additional establishments using the same account?▸

    • Yes, you can report additional for additional establishments using your existing account. Note that you only need to report for surveyed establishments. On the Select Establishment Page:

      1. Click the "Add Establishment" button.
      2. Type your establishment ID into the bottom row of the table using the following format: xx-xxxxxxxxx-x. You can locate your establishment ID on your survey form under the section "Report for:" See here for details.
      3. Click the "Add" button located to the left of the Establishment ID that you typed in.
  5. Can I modify my answers once I've submitted them?▸

    • Yes. To modify your survey responses:

      1. Log back into the IDCF system using your account number and password you created.
      2. Click the "Select" button next to the establishment you would like to update.
      3. Revise any necessary answers on the appropriate page.
      4. Click on the "Save & Continue" arrow on each page until you reach the Data Review page.
      5. Click on the "Submit Data to BLS" button to submit your updated survey data.
  6. Can I print my submitted survey?▸

    • Yes. After filling out the survey click the "Submit" button followed by "Print Submission.”

  7. Can I update my establishment's name and address?▸

    • Yes. To update establishment information:

      1. Open the survey for the establishment whose information you want to update.
      2. Click on the "Update" button located in Section 1: Establishment Information.
      3. Update your establishment information.
      4. Click on the "Submit" button.

Protecting your information


  1. Is the information I provide confidential?▸

    • Yes. Your information and identity are kept in strict confidence in accordance with Bureau of Labor Statistics Data Integrity Guidelines, and used for statistical purposes only. More information on BLS data integrity can be found at https://www.bls.gov/bls/data_integrity.htm.

  2. How are my data used?▸

    • Your data are used to create detailed statistics on occupational injuries and illnesses. These statistics are used by other federal agencies and policy makers, academia, researchers, companies, advocacy groups, and the general public to improve workplace safety. More information about our program can be found at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshover.htm.  


OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) reporting


  1. Is the OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) the same thing as the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII)?▸

    • No. OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) is an electronic reporting requirement for some establishments developed and maintained by OSHA. The SOII is a survey of establishments administered by BLS for statistical purposes. BLS and OSHA are separate government agencies. Some employers may be required to report to both OSHA and to the BLS SOII. and may also be sampled for participation in the SOII. If you are unsure if you need to report to the OSHA ITA, check the OSHA ITA website at https://www.osha.gov/injuryreporting/ita/.

      Additional information on OSHA electronic reporting requirements can be found at https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/finalrule/index.html.

  2. Can we submit data to only BLS or OSHA?▸

    • No. If you receive a mandatory survey from BLS and are required to provide information to OSHA, you must submit data to both agencies.

  3. I tried to enter my OSHA Identification Number (OSHA ID) to import data from OSHA ITA for the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and it did not work. Why?▸

    • The confidentiality and security of SOII respondents and their data, as well as the accuracy of data reported to BLS surveys, is critical. Along with your OSHA ID, the BLS uses additional matching criteria to ensure the establishment information you reported to OSHA ITA matches the establishment sampled for the BLS SOII. These criteria must be satisfied for OSHA ITA data to be imported for the BLS SOII:

      • The Employer Identification Number (EIN) you reported to OSHA ITA must match the EIN for the sampled establishment on the BLS database.

      • The employment you reported to OSHA ITA must be reasonably close to the employment expected for the establishment on the BLS database.

      • The geographic location for the establishment you reported to OSHA ITA must match the establishment on the BLS database.

      If these criteria are not met, BLS is unable to import your OSHA ITA data for the SOII and you will need to enter information manually in the BLS Internet Data Collection Facility (IDCF). Alternatively, you may contact our office in your state (see https://www.bls.gov/respondents/iif/contact.htm) to report by phone, fax, or email.

  4. Where can I find my OSHA ID number?▸

    • The OSHA ID number is sent to a respondent by OSHA once they enter their information into the OSHA ITA system. The OSHA ID would appear in a confirmation email sent from DoNotReply@osha.gov with the subject “OSHA Injury and Illness Report: Successful Submission(s).”
      OSHA ID email

  5. Will BLS use OSHA-collected data for the SOII?▸

    • Yes. Respondents that are required to report data to both agencies may be able to import to BLS the data that they have submitted to the OSHA ITA in that same year. Respondents must be able to provide the OSHA ID assigned when reporting to OSHA ITA, which will be used to attempt to match the establishment in the OSHA database. If BLS can successfully match establishment information with information reported to OSHA, data that have been reported to the OSHA ITA will be automatically imported into the SOII Internet Data Collection Facility (IDCF). Imported data are taken from the OSHA form  300A, “Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.” Additionally, case data taken from the OSHA form 300 "Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses" and OSHA form 301 "injury and Illness Incident Report" may also be imported to your SOII IDCF account. Additional information that is not collected by OSHA ITA may need to be entered manually to complete the SOII. On-screen messages will prompt you to enter these additional details.

  6. Where can I find additional information regarding OSHA’s recordkeeping rule requiring employers to electronically submit injury and illness data?▸

Contact us

If you are not sure which establishment(s) to report data for, please contact the State Office listed on the front of your survey form.

If you require further assistance completing the survey, please do not hesitate to contact us at osh.helpdesk@bls.gov.

 

 

Last Modified Date: February 16, 2024