Situation Report | August 10, 2020
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has revised rules on OSHA access to employee medical records.
The rule describes internal procedures that OSHA personnel must follow when obtaining and using personally-identifiable employee medical information.
OSHA has amended several provisions of the regulation in order to “improve efficiency in implementing these internal procedures.” The final rule:
- Establishes new procedures for the access and safeguarding of personally-identifiable employee medical information maintained in electronic form.
- Transfers the approval of written medical access orders (MAOs) from the Assistant Secretary of Occupational Safety and Health to the OSHA Medical Records Officer (MRO). The MRO is responsible for determining the transfer and public disclosure of personally-identifiable employee medical information in OSHA’s possession.
- Clarifies that a written MAO does not constitute an administrative subpoena.