OSHA Injury and Illness Record Keeping

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires most employers to maintain OSHA records / forms for all “OSHA recordable” injuries and illnesses.  Employers meeting the requirements for a small employer exemption or who are engaged in what are known as a “partially exempt industry” may be exempt from maintaining these records.

The OSHA Form 300 is the primary form; it is kept for each establishment on a calendar year basis. There is also an annual summary form (OSHA 300-A) that must be completed, certified, and posted each year.  Employers must also maintain an additional form (OSHA 301) with supplemental information about each injury or illness unless they have a form (such as workers comp first report of injury) with all the same information.

OSHA requires affected employers to maintain all forms for five (5) years beyond the year they apply.

OSHA standards also require employers to contact OSHA within eight (8) hours to report a work-related fatality or catastrophic incident; reporting criteria may vary in States with a State Plan OSHA program.