Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has rescinded its midnight rule, adopted by the outgoing Administration in December 2016 which attempted to end run the federal court’s decision in Volks that limits the statute of limitations on injury recordkeeping violations to six months.

Prior to 2012, OSHA’s longstanding position was that an employer’s duty to record an injury or illness continues for the full five-year record-retention period.  However, in 2012, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision, in AKM LLC v. Secretary of Labor, 675 F.3d 752 (DC Cir. 2012), rejecting OSHA’s position.

The AKM or “Volks” decision found that the standard six month statute limitations applies to an employer’s duty to record work related injuries and illnesses on the OSHA 300 log. The Volks decision effectively ended OSHA practice of issuing citations for alleged recordkeeping errors going back five years.  This decision did not sit well with OSHA.  In December, 2016 OSHA announced a new final rule that OSHA claimed “clarifies” an employer’s “continuing” obligation to make and maintain an accurate record of each recordable injury and illness for a full five years.

As we previously blogged, OSHA’s rule was a clear attempt to avoid the D.C. Circuit‘s ruling.  In response, Congress passed a Resolution to block OSHA’s rule, stating that “such rule shall have no force or effect.”  Agreeing with Congress, the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy announcing that it “strongly supports” passage of the bill.

The December midnight rule has now been rescinded by OSHA, effectively acknowledging that the six month statute of limitations applies, not the five year statute of limitations.  82 Fed. Reg. 20548 (May 3, 2017).