What does “OSHA recordable injury” mean?
Short answer
A recordable injury is a new, work-related injury or illness that OSHA says you must log. Care beyond first aid, or lost work time, usually makes it one.
Also known as: recordable case, recordable incident, OSHA recordable
The three tests
Under 29 CFR 1904.4, you must record an injury or illness if it is work-related, is a new case and meets the general criteria in 1904.7 (or the special cases in 1904.8 through 1904.12). The criteria are:
- 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 doctor or other licensed professional
Cancer, chronic irreversible disease, a broken or cracked bone and a punctured eardrum must always be recorded at diagnosis.
Recording and reporting
Enter each recordable case on the OSHA 300 Log. Finish a 301 incident report, or an equal form, within seven calendar days of learning of it (29 CFR 1904.29). The 300A yearly summary comes next. Some sites must also send data to OSHA online.
Example: a warehouse worker strains a shoulder, and a doctor prescribes pain medicine. That is medical treatment beyond first aid, so the case is recordable.
Mix-up: recordable is not reportable. You must also call OSHA about a death (within 8 hours) or an in-patient hospital stay, amputation or loss of an eye (within 24 hours), under 1904.39.
Recording a case does not mean fault, a broken rule or workers' compensation eligibility (1904.0).
IncidentKit's OSHA 300, 300A and 301 exports are rolling out.
Frequently asked questions
Is every workplace injury recordable?
No. It must be work-related, a new case and meet a recording criterion. First aid alone is not recordable. Some work-setting cases are excluded under 1904.5(b)(2).
What is the difference between recordable and reportable?
Recordable means it goes on your OSHA 300 Log. Reportable means you must call OSHA within 8 hours of a work-related death, or 24 hours of an in-patient stay, amputation or loss of an eye.
How soon must a recordable case be entered on the log?
Within seven calendar days of learning that it happened, on the OSHA 300 Log and the 301 report or an equal form.
Sources
- OSHA 29 CFR 1904.4: Recording criteria
- OSHA 29 CFR 1904.7: General recording criteria
- 29 CFR 1904.29: Forms (OSHA 300, 300-A and 301)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1904.39: Reporting fatalities, hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye
- 29 CFR 1904.0: Purpose (recordkeeping rule)
- 29 CFR 1904.5: Determination of work-relatedness
- OSHA: Injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting requirements
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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