OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements

Under the OSHA Recordkeeping regulation (29 CFR 1904), covered employers are required to prepare and maintain records of serious occupational injuries and illnesses, using the OSHA 300 Log. This information is important for employers, workers and OSHA in evaluating the safety of a workplace, understanding industry hazards, and implementing worker protections to reduce and eliminate hazards.

What am I required to report?

All employers covered by the OSH Act must orally report to OSHA the death of any employee from a work-related incident or the in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees as a result of a work-related incident within eight (8) hours.

Contact Information | 29 CFR 1904.39

Am I required to prepare and maintain records?

Employers with more than ten employees and whose establishments are not classified as a partially exempt industry must record work-related injuries and illnesses using OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301, available here. Partially exempt industries include establishments in specific low hazard retail, service, finance, insurance or real estate industries and are listed in Appendix A to Subpart B and here.

Employers who are required to keep Form 300, the Injury and Illness log, must post Form 300A, the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, in a workplace every year from February 1 to April 30. Current and former employees, or their representatives, have the right to access injury and illness records. Employers must give the requester a copy of the relevant record(s) by the end of the next business day.

For more information, read the "Do I need to fill out the OSHA Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses?" brochure (OSHA Publication 3169) HTML.

What is recordable under OSHA's Recordkeeping Regulation?

  • Covered employers must record all work-related fatalities.
  • Covered employers must record all work-related injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, loss of consciousness or medical treatment beyond first aid (see OSHA's definition of first aid below).
  • In addition, employers must record significant work-related injuries or illnesses diagnoses by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness.
  • Injuries include cases such as, but not limited to, a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation.
  • Illnesses include both acute and chronic illnesses, such as, but not limited to, a skin disease (i.e. contact dermatitis), respiratory disorder (i.e. occupational asthma, pneumoconiosis), or poisoning (i.e. lead poisoning, solvent intoxication).
  • OSHA's definition of work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities are those in which an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the condition. In addition, if an event or exposure in the work environment significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness, this is also considered work-related.
  • For further questions or clarifications, take advantage of the additional resources on this page (under "In Focus") or call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).

Where can I learn more about recordkeeping requirements?

Regulatory Text | Training Module | Training Presentations | Compliance Directive (CPL 2-00-135) | Recordkeeping Forms | NAM settlement agreement | Recordkeeping NEP

What is the OSHA Data Initiative (ODI)?

Background | The Data Collectors | The Data Collection Form | Contact Information | Stakeholder Meeting

What if I still have questions?

FAQs | Hearing Loss Chart | Fact sheet | Letters of Interpretation | SIC Manual | BLS injury and illness statistics| OSHA contacts | Recordkeeping Advisor

What is first-aid for purposes of OSHA recordkeeping?

  • Using a non-prescription medication at nonprescription strength (for medications available in both prescription and non-prescription form, a recommendation by a physician or other licensed health care professional to use a non-prescription medication at prescription strength is considered medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes)
  • Administering tetanus immunizations (other immunizations, such as Hepatitis B vaccine or rabies vaccine, are considered medical treatment)
  • Cleaning, flushing or soaking wounds on the surface of the skin
  • Using wound coverings such as bandages, Band-AidsTM, gauze pads, etc.; or using butterfly bandages or Steri-StripsTM (other wound closing devices such as sutures, staples, etc., are considered medical treatment)
  • Using hot or cold therapy
  • Using any non-rigid means of support, such as elastic bandages, wraps, non-rigid back belts, etc. (devices with rigid stays or other systems designed to immobilize parts of the body are considered medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes)
  • Using temporary immobilization devices while transporting an accident victim (e.g., splints, slings, neck collars, back boards, etc.)
  • Drilling of a fingernail or toenail to relieve pressure, or draining fluid from a blister
  • Using eye patches
  • Removing foreign bodies from the eye using only irrigation or a cotton swab
  • Removing splinters or foreign material from areas other than the eye by irrigation, tweezers, cotton swabs or other simple means
  • Using finger guards
  • Using massages (physical therapy or chiropractic treatment are considered medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes)
  • Drinking fluids for relief of heat stress
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What's New

OSHA Injury and Illness forms are now available in a pdf fillable format

Incentive Program Memo

On June 22, 2011 OSHA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modify the industry coverage of the recordkeeping rule and the Fatality/Catastrophe reporting requirements. Please see documents below:

Federal register notice (June 22, 2011)

News release on Proposal

Frequently Asked Questions on proposal
(issued June 22, 2011)

In Focus

Letters of Interpretation

OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/OSHARecordkeeping.htm
This interactive tool simulates the interaction you might have with an expert on the Recordkeeping rules. It asks questions and provides answers based on your responses. In some cases, you may need additional expert help.

The OSHA Recordkeeping Handbook

The OSHA Recordkeeping Handbook is a compendium of existing agency approved policy, including the 2001 Recordkeeping rule (Regulatory text and relevant decision discussion from the Preamble to the rule), Frequently Asked Questions and the Letters of Interpretation.

A Brief Tutorial on Completing the Recordkeeping Forms
This presentation reviews OSHA recordkeeping requirements at a high level, with an emphasis on how to fill out the forms provided in OSHA's Recordkeeping Forms package. The tutorial covers what types of operations come under the recordkeeping rule, what types of injury and illness incidents must be recorded, and what information is to be included in each of the OSHA forms.
Training Module

Summary of Comments from the Small Business Teleconferences on OSHA's Proposed Rule on Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Recordkeeping Requirements.
This report summarizes a series of teleconferences held by OSHA and the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy April 11 and 12, 2011. OSHA invites comments from the public, particularly small business owners, on the information and issues in the report. The press release and Federal Register notice announcing the reopening of the record can be found on the left.