Note to Reviewer - SOII Request to send opt out letter to GA and updates to IDCF for OSHA ITA information

October 28, 2020

MEMORANDUM FOR : Reviewer of 1220-0045

FROM : Jeff Brown, Branch Chief

Division of Data Collection and Review

Office of Compensation and Working Conditions

Bureau of Labor Statistics

SUBJECT : Letter to inform sample establishments in Georgia that BLS will
not be collecting their data for the Survey of Occupational

Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) for Reference Year (RY) 2020 and updating the SOII Internet Data Collection Facility (IDCF) to

allow for transfer of data from DOL to BLS

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) seeks approval to mail a letter to inform previously notified sample establishments in Georgia that BLS will not be collecting their data for the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses for RY 2020. BLS also requests to update the SOII Internet Data Collection Facility (IDCF) to allow for transfer of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data to BLS.

The State of Georgia stopped participating in the collection of the SOII effective September 30, 2020. Subsequently, BLS has reduced the sample size for Georgia to include a smaller number of sample units required to support national estimates. This reduction in sample removed 4,264 (4,104 private industry and 160 public – voluntary sector) establishments previously asked to maintain records throughout the 2020 calendar year but will no longer be asked to report this information to BLS.

Beginning with calendar year 2016, OSHA amended its recordkeeping regulations to require selected employers, some of whom are also required to submit data to SOII, to submit 300A Summary form injury and illness information electronically to OSHA through its Injury Tracking Application (ITA). BLS requested permission to modify its IDCF application to implement a secure process to make OSHA ITA data available in IDCF to reduce duplicative burden. After gaining approval, BLS, working with OSHA and other agencies in DOL, has developed a process by which data submitted to OSHA by an establishment may be securely transferred to BLS to reduce the duplicative burden on respondents. Screenshots of the IDCF portal displaying the instructions to respondents on how to transfer the OSHA ITA data are also included in this request.

It is expected that the reduction in the sample size for Georgia will reduce respondent burden by 3,073 hours, 2,897 hours for private sector employers required to respond and 176 hours for voluntary public sector employers. It is anticipated that making OSHA ITA data available to SOII respondents will reduce burden on employers but the exact burden reduction is not known at this time. Changes in burden due to this change will be calculated and reported at the end of the collection period beginning in 2021. Please direct any questions regarding this request to Jeff Brown by telephone at 202-691-6188 or by e-mail at brown.jeff@bls.gov.

Attachments:

Georgia Sample Reduction Letter 2020.docx

SOII IDCF Screenshots.pdf

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