Forgetting to Post the OSHA 300 A Form

Employers required to complete 300 Logs must post a copy of the Annual Summary (300A) for the previous year. This must be posted in a conspicuous place where employees from February 01 – April 30.

Incorrectly Recording an Injury or Illness that Resulted in Days Away from Work

For injuries or illnesses that resulted in both days away from and job transfer/restriction, you want to be sure this is being properly documented on your 300 Log. If an injury originally resulted in job restriction and later resulted in days away from work, you would want to classify the case as the most severe consequence for the case. In this situation, you could classify the case as “days away from work” as this is the more severe outcome.

Not Retaining the OSHA 300 Logs

OSHA requires that employers maintain the OSHA 300 Log, 300A, and 301 Log for a period of five (5) years following the end of the calendar year that the records cover. If there is an update to an injury or illness that occurred in a previous year, OSHA’ requires that the case be updated to reflect the change.

Assuming Their Company is Exempt

Most businesses must comply with OSHA recordkeeping rules. If your company had 11+ employees at any time during the year, you must maintain injury and illness records, including OSHA 300 logs. Employers with 10 or fewer employees are generally exempt unless notified by OSHA or BLS. All employers must report workplace fatalities within 8 hours and hospitalizations, amputations, or eye loss within 24 hours. Additionally, businesses with 250+ employees must submit OSHA 300A online, while those with 20-249 employees in high-risk industries are also required to file electronically.

Not Understanding OSHA’s Requirements

Most companies know they need to record injuries and illnesses, but are unsure about what to record.