OSHA has agreed to make the work-related injury and illness records of 237,000 employers available to advocacy group Public Citizen, following a two-year court battle.
Public Citizen used the Freedom of Information Act to request the information, which is recorded on OSHA Form 300A, but OSHA withheld the records, claiming they contained confidential information exempt from disclosure.
In June, a U.S. District Court judge recommended the court rule in Public Citizen’s favor, finding the records weren’t confidential, according to a news release from the organization.
OSHA had until July 21 to object to the recommendation, but instead of objecting, the agency agreed to produce the records in full by Aug. 18.
In a similar case in June, another U.S. District Court judge rejected OSHA’s confidentiality argument in a suit filed by the Center for Investigative Reporting over access to Form 300A records, finding the records public information.
