OSHA Form 301: the Injury and Illness Incident Report
Short answer
OSHA Form 301 is the incident report for one recordable case. Complete it within 7 calendar days of learning of the case, and keep it five years. A workers' compensation report with the missing information added can stand in. An employee must get their own 301 by the end of the next business day.
- Form
- OSHA Form 301, Injury and Illness Incident Report (Rev. 04/2004)
- Rule
- 29 CFR 1904.29(b)(2)
- Deadline
- Within 7 calendar days of learning of the case
- Fields
- 18: employee, health care professional, the case
- Retention
- 5 years after the year covered
- Employee copy
- By the end of the next business day
- Union representative copy
- Within 7 calendar days, case section only
Applies to: Employers required to keep OSHA injury and illness records · EHS managers, HR and supervisors who complete incident reports · Establishments with 100 or more employees in designated industries that submit 301 data electronically
What is the 301 and when is it due?
You need a 301, or an equivalent form, for each recordable case on the 300 Log. Complete it within 7 calendar days of learning of the case. Keep it five years after the year it covers (1904.29, 1904.33). Copy the Log's case number into field 10.
Cases that are not recordable, and near misses, need no 301. Many employers still write an internal report for every event, because the 301 is thin on causes. See the workplace injury report template.
What does the form ask?
Eighteen fields in three groups. The form is revision 04/2004 under OMB control number 1218-0176.
| Group | Fields |
|---|---|
| The employee | 1 full name, 2 address, 3 date of birth, 4 date hired, 5 sex |
| The physician or other health care professional | 6 name. 7 where treated, if away from the worksite. 8 treated in an emergency room. 9 hospitalized overnight as an in-patient. |
| The case | 10 case number from the Log. 11 date of injury or illness. 12 time the employee began work. 13 time of event. 14 what the employee was doing just before. 15 what happened. 16 the injury or illness and body part. 17 the object or substance that harmed the employee. 18 date of death. |
Fields 14 to 17 are the narrative. The form says to leave out worker names, phone numbers and Social Security numbers.
Can another form stand in for the 301?
Yes, if it is an equivalent form. It needs the same information, must be as readable and understandable, and must follow the same instructions as the OSHA form (1904.29(b)(4)).
- A workers' compensation or insurance first report can serve if you add the missing OSHA information (FAQ 29-4).
- Equivalent forms can be kept in any file format, such as Excel or CSV (FAQ 29-8).
- Computer records are fine if they can produce equivalent forms when needed (1904.29(b)(5)).
Who is entitled to a copy, and how fast?
Three groups can ask, each with its own clock.
| Requester | What they get | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Employee, former employee or personal representative | The 301 for that employee's case | End of the next business day, free the first time |
| Authorized employee representative (a collective bargaining agent) | Only the case information section ('Tell us about the case') of each 301 for the establishment; everything else removed | Within 7 calendar days |
| OSHA, NIOSH or a State Plan agency | The records you keep under Part 1904 | Within 4 business hours |
A personal representative is someone the employee names in writing, or the legal representative of a deceased or legally incapacitated employee. The form holds health information, so it carries a confidentiality notice. If you share it voluntarily, remove names and other identifiers. Exceptions: an auditor or consultant hired to evaluate your safety and health program. A workers' compensation or insurance claim. A public health or law enforcement agency, as HIPAA allows (1904.29(b)(10)).
What makes a 301 narrative useful?
Specific activity, specific object, specific outcome. The examples below are invented for illustration.
| Field | Thin | Useful |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Before the incident | Working | Pulling a loaded pallet jack backward over a raised door threshold |
| 15 What happened | Hurt back | The front wheel caught on the threshold and the load stopped; the employee felt a pull in the lower back |
| 16 Injury | Back | Strained lower back |
| 17 Object or substance | Equipment | Pallet jack and door threshold |
How does the 301 connect to electronic submission?
Establishments with 100 or more employees in Appendix B industries must submit 300 and 301 data to OSHA each year. The submission leaves out the employee's name and address, the health care professional's name, and any treatment facility's name and address (1904.41(b)(9)). OSHA posts most of it, minus identifiers, so write narratives a stranger can read (electronic submission).
How IncidentKit supports this requirement
| What the rule asks for | Where it lives in IncidentKit |
|---|---|
| Complete a 301 for each recordable case within 7 calendar days | Lauren asks the narrative questions and fills matching fields, marked 'Lauren · draft'. A person reviews and signs. OSHA 301 export is rolling out; for now the per-incident PDF carries the facts. |
| Equivalent forms are acceptable if complete | One incident record serves the investigation and, once exports roll out, the OSHA form. |
| Employee copy by the end of the next business day | The per-incident PDF is a printable report. Role-based access controls who may generate and share it. |
| Narratives without personal identifiers in fields 14 to 17 | Reviewers see every Lauren-drafted field before approval, so identifiers can be removed first. |
| Keep for five years | Records and change history stay in the audit trail, with CSV export for your own archive. |
Product parts involved: Lauren, the AI assistant, Incident reporting, Compliance packets, Audit trail, QR and quick report. Capabilities marked “rolling out” are being released in stages; see the changelog.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a 301 for every incident?
No. You need one for each recordable injury or illness on the 300 Log. First aid cases and near misses need no 301. Many employers still keep an internal report, because minor events show patterns.
Can I use my workers' compensation first report?
Yes, if it holds all the information the 301 asks for, is as readable and understandable, and follows the same instructions. You may add missing information to an insurance or workers' compensation form.
Does the 301 have to be signed?
Not by the rule. The signature duty applies to the 300A annual summary, which a company executive must certify. The 301 asks who completed it, with title, phone and date. Keep your own review step.
Do I have to update a 301 when the case changes?
No. You must update the 300 Log when a case's outcome or description changes, but not the 301 or the 300A. You may if you wish. Keep the 301 for five years after the year it covers (1904.33).
Sources
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1904.29, Forms; 1904.33, Retention and updating; 1904.35, Employee involvement
- OSHA: Recordkeeping forms package with instructions, including Form 301 (Rev. 04/2004)
- OSHA: Forms for recording work-related injuries and illnesses
- OSHA: FAQ 29-4, supplementing insurance or workers' compensation forms
- OSHA: Injury Tracking Application frequently asked questions
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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