At its 279th Session (November 2000) the Governing Body of the International Labour Office decided to place an item on the recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases, including the possible revision of the list of occupational diseases, Schedule I to the Employment Injury Benefits Convention, 1964 (No. 121), on the agenda of the 90th Session (2002) of the International Labour Conference, with a view to standard setting under the single-discussion procedure. The Governing Body also indicated that the development of a mechanism for regularly updating the list of occupational diseases should be examined by the Conference as part of the above agenda item. Owing to the limited time frame for the preparation of this law and practice report, it has been prepared on the basis of materials provided by member States in reply to past surveys, meetings of experts and other sources available at the International Labour Office.

The practical recommendations of this code aim to improve the recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases, especially with a view to developing preventive measures. The provisions also cover commiting accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents. Although they are not legally binding, the recommendations should provide useful guidance to all those who play a role in this area. The book is also available in French and Spanish.

Provides information to determine whether or not an establishment must keep OSHA records; describes which forms should be used and how they should be completed; outlines where the OSHA records must be located, how they should be updated, and how long they must be kept; provides guidelines for determining the key issues of recordability and for determining the outcome of recordable cases; describes employer obligations for reporting occupational injuries and illnesses; and discusses some of the checks and balances built into the system to ensure accurate recordkeeping and reporting.

Provides guidance for national labour statisticians engaged in or proposing to start the compilation of statistics on occupational injuries through household surveys or establishment surveys.