The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, is used to record injuries and illnesses for the previous year. It includes the number of days work was lost or restricted, and the types of injuries and illnesses that occurred. Information about the company, such as the average number of employees and total hours worked by all employees, must also be recorded.
Form 300A must be displayed prominently from February 1 through April 30 each year. If no recordable incidents or illnesses occurred during the previous year, the Form must still be completed and posted reflecting zero recordable cases. The content of the 300A summary is based on information recorded on OSHA Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.
Which Employers Need to Post Form 300A?
Any establishment with more than 10 employees at any point in the year, unless they are in an exempt low-hazard industry as discussed below, must complete and post the 300A summary.
Establishments with 250 or more employees must also submit Form 300A to OSHA. In addition, electronic submission of information from Form 300A is required for establishments in certain listed high-hazard industries with 20-249 employees. The data must be provided electronically through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) on or before March 2, 2026.
Which Establishments are Exempt?
Employers with 10 or fewer employees are not required to keep OSHA injury and Illness records, including Form 300A. In addition, industries within NAICS codes listed by the Department of Labor (DOL) are also exempt from recordkeeping and the related posting requirement. This list includes NAICS code 5417 (Scientific Research and Development Services such as establishments engaged in conducting biotechnology).
As a best practice, we encourage that injuries and illnesses be recorded and Form 300A posted, even if a company doesn’t fall under mandatory recording requirements. In some cases, establishments in exempt industries may specifically be asked to record injuries and illnesses, and submit related information, by OSHA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or a state agency.
It should be noted that all employers, including those exempted by reason of company size or industry classification, must report to OSHA any workplace incident that results in a fatality, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye.
Which Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Need to be Recorded?
An injury or illness is work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to it, or significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness. The work environment includes the establishment and other locations where an employee works, or is present, as a condition of their employment.
Work-related injuries or illnesses that must be recorded are summarized below.
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work, or transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid
- Loss of consciousness
- A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional such as work-related cancer or a chronic and irreversible disease
In addition, there are special recording criteria for needlesticks and sharps, medical removal, hearing loss, and tuberculosis.
For more information on which injuries or illnesses need to be recorded refer to OSHA’s booklet: Forms for Recording Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, their Recordkeeping Resources page, or contact us! There’s still time to meet the February 1 posting and March 2 submission deadlines!
This blog was written by Beth Graham, Safety Partners’ Director of Quality, Research, and Training.
