Incident Tracking

OSHA recordkeeping is a regulatory requirement under 29 CFR 1904 that requires covered employers to track and document serious workplace injuries and illnesses. These records are maintained using the OSHA 300 Log and help monitor workplace safety.

This information is used by employers, workers, and OSHA to:

• Evaluate the safety of a workplace
• Understand industry hazards
• Implement protections to reduce or eliminate risks

Maintaining accurate records supports better safety management and helps improve overall workplace conditions.

Employers must keep records of workplace injuries and illnesses to determine whether incidents meet OSHA recordkeeping requirements. An injury is only recordable if it meets specific criteria related to how it occurred, whether it is new, and its severity.

To be recordable, an injury or illness must meet all three conditions:

• Work-related: It occurs in the work environment unless a specific exemption applies
• New case: The employee has fully recovered from a previous similar injury before experiencing it again
• Meets recording criteria: It requires medical treatment beyond first aid, results in restricted work or lost days, or meets another OSHA recording criterion

Tracking these cases ensures accurate documentation of workplace safety incidents.

An injury is considered OSHA recordable if it meets three specific criteria: it must be work-related, classified as a new case, and meet at least one of OSHA’s general recording criteria. All three conditions must be satisfied for the injury to be recorded.

To determine if an injury is recordable, it must:

• Be work-related: It occurs in the work environment unless a specific exemption applies
• Be a new case: The employee must have fully recovered from a previous similar injury before experiencing it again
• Meet recording criteria: It requires medical treatment beyond first aid, results in restricted work or lost days, or meets another OSHA recording criterion

Applying these three conditions ensures consistent and accurate OSHA recordkeeping.

The OSHA 300 Log is a required record used by covered employers to track serious work-related injuries and illnesses under OSHA’s recordkeeping regulation (29 CFR 1904). It serves as a standardized way to document and monitor workplace safety incidents.

Employers use the OSHA 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses to maintain records that help:

• Evaluate workplace safety conditions
• Identify and understand industry hazards
• Support efforts to reduce and eliminate risks

These records are important for employers, workers, and OSHA in improving overall workplace safety and health.

The OSHA Form 300A annual summary must be posted by February 1 each year and must remain posted through at least April 30. It summarizes total work-related injuries and illnesses from the previous year.

Employers must:

• Post the OSHA Form 300A in each establishment
• Place it in a conspicuous location where employee notices are typically displayed
• Ensure the form is not defaced or covered by other materials

This posting requirement ensures employees can easily review workplace injury and illness information.

Employers with 250 or more employees must annually submit OSHA Form 300A information through OSHA’s electronic reporting portal. In addition, certain employers with 20 to 249 employees are also required to submit, depending on their industry classification.

Specifically:

• Employers with 250 or more employees must submit every year
• Employers with 20 to 249 employees must submit if they are in designated industries

These designated industries are identified by NAICS codes listed in 29 CFR 1904.41 Appendix A.