OSHA Form 300: the Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
Short answer
The OSHA 300 Log lists each recordable work-related injury and illness at one establishment. Enter each case on its own line within 7 calendar days, marked by its most serious outcome. Show 'privacy case' instead of a name for a short list of sensitive cases. Keep each Log five years after the year it covers.
- Form
- OSHA Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (Rev. 04/2004)
- Rule
- 29 CFR 1904.29 (forms) and 1904.30 (multiple establishments)
- Entry clock
- Within 7 calendar days of learning of the case
- One box only
- Columns G to J: death, days away, job transfer or restriction, other
- Day count
- Starts the day after the injury; capped at 180 days
- Retention
- 5 years after the year covered, with updates
- Employee copy
- By the end of the next business day, names left on
Applies to: Employers required to keep OSHA injury and illness records · EHS managers, HR and safety coordinators who maintain the Log for each establishment · Contractors and general contractors with short-term job sites
What is the OSHA 300 Log?
The Log records every recordable injury and illness at one establishment. Keep a separate Log for each establishment expected to operate for a year or longer (1904.30). The year at the top is the calendar year the cases belong to.
| Situation | Which Log |
|---|---|
| Establishment expected to operate a year or longer | Its own Log |
| Short-term establishment, under a year | One Log may cover all short-term sites, or one per division or region |
| Employee at several locations or none | Linked to one establishment, recorded there |
| Injury at another of your establishments | That establishment's Log |
| Injury away from any establishment | Log where the employee normally works |
| Telecommuter | The linked establishment; a home is not an establishment |
You may store Logs at headquarters if the information reaches it within 7 calendar days. You must also be able to send copies to the establishment in the time the rules require.
What goes in each column?
Identify the person, describe the case, classify it, count the days, and mark the type of injury or illness.
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| A | Case number |
| B | Employee name, or 'privacy case' (see below) |
| C | Job title |
| D | Date of injury or start of illness |
| E | Where the event occurred |
| F | Injury or illness, body part, and the object or substance that directly harmed the person |
| G, H, I, J | Check one box, the most serious outcome: death, days away, job transfer or restriction, or other recordable case |
| K, L | Days away from work, and days of job transfer or restriction |
| M | Injury, or one illness type: skin disorder, respiratory condition, poisoning, hearing loss, all other illnesses |
How do you classify a case with two outcomes?
Pick one box in columns G to J: the most serious outcome. Death is most serious and 'other recordable' is least. If the outcome gets worse, change the entry.
Illustrative example: sutures close a hand laceration (medical treatment), then the employee spends 3 days on restricted duty. Record it once, as job transfer or restriction, with 3 restricted days.
- Counting days: start the day after the injury. Count calendar days, including weekends, holidays and vacation days the employee could not have worked.
- Still away at year end: estimate, then update when the actual number is known.
- The 180-day cap: you may enter 180 when days away or restricted exceed 180.
- Leaving the company: you may stop counting if the employee leaves for an unrelated reason. OSHA treats firing after a post-accident drug test as related, so keep estimating (FAQ 7-9).
- One year only: record a case once, on the Log for the year it happened, even if days continue into the next year.
Which cases show 'privacy case' instead of a name?
Only the cases on OSHA's complete list. You may not add others. Keep a confidential list of case numbers and names, to update cases and to give the government on request (1904.29).
- An injury or illness to an intimate body part or the reproductive system.
- An injury or illness resulting from a sexual assault.
- Mental illness.
- HIV infection, hepatitis or tuberculosis.
- Needlestick injuries and cuts from sharp objects contaminated with another person's blood or other potentially infectious material.
- Any other illness, if the employee voluntarily asks that the name be left off.
If the person could still be identified, use discretion, such as 'injury from assault' or 'lower abdominal injury'. Still show the cause and general severity.
When must entries be made, updated and shared?
Seven calendar days to enter, five years to keep, and short clocks for access.
| Duty | Clock |
|---|---|
| Enter a new recordable case | Within 7 calendar days of learning of it |
| Update an old case | Within the five-year retention period: line out the old entry, enter the new information |
| Copy for an employee, former employee or representative | By the end of the next business day, free the first time, names left on |
| Copies for OSHA, NIOSH or a State Plan agency | Within 4 business hours |
| Keep the Log | 5 years after the end of the year it covers |
What does a usable entry look like?
Keep it short and specific. The row below is invented for illustration.
| Field | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
| A, C | Case 14, packaging line worker |
| D, E | 3/12, packaging area, line 2 |
| F | Laceration, left forearm, from a box cutter; closed with sutures |
| G to J | Job transfer or restriction (after the sutures, restricted to non-cutting tasks) |
| K, L | 0 days away, 3 days restricted |
| M | Injury |
At year end the Log feeds the 300A summary. Each line needs a matching 301 incident report or equivalent.
How IncidentKit supports this requirement
| What the rule asks for | Where it lives in IncidentKit |
|---|---|
| One line per recordable case, entered within 7 calendar days | The incident record holds the same facts. OSHA 300 export is rolling out; for now, use CSV export and the per-incident PDF. |
| Classify by the most serious outcome | Lauren drafts outcome fields, marked 'Lauren · draft'. The reviewer decides the classification and signs. |
| Update cases as outcomes change | The audit trail keeps field-level history, so a changed day count or reclassification is traceable. |
| Keep privacy cases confidential | Access is set by role and facility, so names can be limited. Deciding a case is a privacy case stays a person's call. |
| A separate Log for each establishment | Each site is a facility with its own staff, routing and pack. Group short-term sites as your OSHA area office expects. |
Product parts involved: Incident reporting, Lauren, the AI assistant, Compliance packets, Audit trail, Multi-site and roles. Capabilities marked “rolling out” are being released in stages; see the changelog.
Frequently asked questions
Do first aid cases go on the OSHA 300 Log?
No. A case that needs only first aid and meets no other criterion is not recordable. The first aid list in 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) is closed, so anything beyond it is medical treatment. See recordable vs first aid.
Can I keep the Log in a spreadsheet or software?
Yes, if you can produce equivalent forms when needed. An equivalent form has the same information, is as readable and understandable, and follows the same instructions. Any file format works, such as Excel or CSV (FAQ 29-8).
Can a third party maintain our Log?
Yes. An insurer, accountant or safety consultant may complete and keep the forms. The employer stays responsible for accuracy, and a company executive must still certify the annual summary (FAQ 29-7).
Whose Log does a temporary or contract worker's injury go on?
The employer that supervises the worker day to day records the case, on payroll or not. If a staffing agency or contractor provides that supervision, it goes on its Log. Coordinate so each case is recorded once (1904.31).
Sources
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1904.29, Forms; 1904.30, Multiple business establishments
- OSHA: Forms for recording work-related injuries and illnesses, including Form 300
- OSHA: Recordkeeping forms package with instructions (Forms 300, 300A, 301)
- OSHA: Part 1904 recordkeeping frequently asked questions
- OSHA: Part 1904 Recordkeeping Policies and Procedures Directive, CPL 02-00-172
Reviewed against the sources above on Oct 5, 2026. Rules change: confirm current requirements with the issuing body or your counsel before relying on any summary.
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