The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to keep track of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. The information aids employers, workers, and OSHA to:
- evaluate the safety of a workplace,
- understand industry hazards, and
- implement worker protections to reduce and eliminate hazards in preventing future workplace injuries and illnesses.
Currently, employers with more than ten employees are required to keep a record of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. Records should be kept on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) forms:
- Form 300 – Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses,
- Form 301 – Injury and Illness Incident Report, and
- Form 300A – Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.
Employers with ten or fewer employees (at all times) during the last calendar year are exempt from keeping Occupational Health and Administration (OSHA) records unless OSHA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), or their state safety agency informs the employer in writing that they must keep these records. Additionally, some lower-risk industries, such as schools and many stores, are also exempt from the recordkeeping rules. Employers may determine if they are exempt by:
- Determining their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code at www.census.gov/naics/. In the search box for the most recent NAICS codes, enter a keyword that describes the business. Choose the primary business activity that most closely corresponds to the business, or refine the search to obtain choices. Once viewing the most recent NAICS tables on the U.S. Census Bureau NAICS main webpage, select the two-digit sector code and choose a six-digit industry code to interpret its definition.
- Or, an employer may also contact their nearest Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) office or state agency for assistance.
Once the employer has their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes they may use the table on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website to determine if their industry is exempt from recording requirements. Note: Establishments of organizations with ten or fewer employees at all times in the previous year continue to be exempt from recordkeeping requirements regardless of their industry classification. The partial exemption for size is based on the number of employees within the entire organization.
All recordable injuries and illnesses must be recorded within seven days of the employer learning of the occurrence. An Injury or illness is defined as an abnormal condition, not an exposure unless it results in signs or symptoms. Severity criteria that will prompt a recording includes:
- death,
- loss of consciousness,
- days away from work,
- restricted work activity or job transfer, and
- medical treatment beyond first aid.
Other recording criteria may include:
- hearing loss,
- tuberculosis,
- medical removal,
- needle stick and sharps injuries, and
- significant diagnosis of an injury or illness.
Simple first aid for minor injuries do not need to be recorded. First aid is typically administered immediately after the injury, often at the incident’s location. However, it may also include one-time, short-term treatment requiring little technology or training. Medical treatment beyond minimal first aid may require the case to become recordable. All fatalities must be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and to a state agency within eight hours and any amputation, loss of an eye, or hospitalization of a worker must be reported within 24 hours.
From February 1st through April 30th of each year, employers must post in an area where all employees may review it, the Form 300A – Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses which were recorded during the previous year. The report should be removed after the expiration date, or employers may face fines for having the document posted outside of the designated timeframe. All records should be maintained at the worksite for at least five years. If requested, employers must provide copies of the records to current and former employees, or their designated representatives, and federal and state agencies.
In addition to maintenance and posting requirements, many employers must also electronically submit information from their previous year’s OSHA 300 records directly to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) each year. This information must be submitted using OSHA’s online Injury Tracking Application (ITA) by March 2nd of each year. Organizations with:
- 20-249 employees in certain industries must submit the 300A Summary Form information.
- 100 or more employees in designated industries must submit some information from the OSHA 300 Log and the 301 Investigation Forms.
- 250 or more employees in all industries, unless exempt from recordkeeping requirements must submit 300A Summary Form information.
For additional information relating to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and recordkeeping requirements, or to read the full OSHA Recordkeeping regulation 29 CFR 1904 visit OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov. Employers may also contact us at www.newfocushr.com.
Written By: Kristen Deutsch, M.B.A., CCP
President
Original Written on 08/14/2017 and Updated on 01/16/2025
Source: Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) website at www.osha.gov.
