Safety Resources- OSHA Recordkeeping Reminder

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) recordkeeping requirements are designed to help employers recognize workplace hazards by keeping track of work-related injuries and illnesses.

It’s important to know that most employers are required to prepare and maintain the OSHA 300 Log. Although not all injuries are required to be recorded on your OSHA 300 Log, OSHA recordkeeping includes work-related injuries and illnesses that involve:

• Death
• Days away from work
• Restricted work or job transfer
• Medical treatment beyond first aid
• Loss of consciousness
• Diagnosis by a healthcare professional as a significant injury or illness

Knowing whether or not to record an injury on your OSHA Log can be tricky. To help you make the determination, OSHA offers a web tool called the OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor.

Recordkeeping Tips

As you prepare your OSHA 300 Logs for posting, use these tips as guidance.

• Complete your OSHA 300 Log and post 300A summary form February 1 to April 30.
• Post your log where employees can see it, even if there were no recordable work-related injuries or illnesses during the year.
• Keep your OSHA Logs up-to-date throughout the year. Completing your log last minute can be a daunting task.
• Remember, OSHA counts calendar days beginning the day after the incident occurs.
• Use the OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor as your guide when you question whether an injury is recordable on your log.
• When you still can’t decide whether to record an injury on your log, contact your local MMA consultant for assistance.
• Keep your forms and logs for five years.

Reporting Injuries to OSHA

It is recommended that you report all work injuries to your workers’ compensation insurer.

However, work injuries do not need to be reported to OSHA unless they involve death or catastrophic injuries. Work fatalities occurring within 30 days of the incident must be reported to OSHA within eight hours. Work-related hospitalizations, amputations and loss of eye must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours. You can report injuries to OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA.

Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Records to OSHA

Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) has adopted the Final Rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. MNOSHA adopted the rule as written in 29 CRF 1904; however, MNOSHA expanded the list of industries in Appendix A to include all NAICS codes. All employer establishments with more than 20 employees are required to submit their OSHA 300A Summary of Work-related Injuries and Illnesses data by using federal OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application. Calendar-year 2018 data will need to be submitted by March 2, 2019.

For even more tips and tricks on OSHA recordkeeping, download MMA’s common question sheet for more guidance (Link below).