It is that time of year again to report work-related injuries and illnesses to OSHA. Which form(s) need to be submitted, who is required to submit the form(s), and can this be done electronically? In this blog, I explain a few OSHA injury reporting tips.
Which form needs to be submitted?
OSHA forms include Form 300, Form 300A, and Form 301.
Form 300 is a log of every work-related death and every work-related injury. Injuries involve:
- loss of consciousness
- restricted work activity or job transfer
- days away from work
- medical treatment beyond first aid
In addition, report any work-related injuries or illnesses diagnosed by a health care provider or called out on OSHA’s specific recording criteria list.
Form 300 contains personal information on injured employees, including details of the injury or illness. Maintain this form as confidential information. This form also helps you classify each case and calculate days away from work or job transfer.
Once this form is complete, Form 300A must be filled in. This form has to be completed, even if there were no work-related injuries or illnesses during the previous year. This form is a total of all of the injuries and illnesses logged on Form 300 throughout the year. However, it does not include employee personal information. All employees, even former employees, have the right to view this form. It must be posted in a conspicuous location at the worksite from February 1 to April 30. In my experience, this form is posted for the entire year. This allows employees to clearly see and be informed of their employer’s incident data.
Form 301 must be completed within 7 days of the occurrence of the actual injury or illness. This form details the injury or illness. It helps OSHA and your company clearly see the severity of incidents.
All of the forms and directions are at https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/OSHA-RK-Forms-Package.pdf.
Who is required to submit the forms?
Not all companies are required to submit Form 300A but for those that are required, the deadline is March 2 of each year. In the bigger scheme of things, only a small number of companies are required to submit this form to OSHA. According to OSHA, companies do not have to send in their information if:
- Peak employment was 19 or fewer employees
- The industry is on the list of exempt industries according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number
- Peak employment was between 20 and 249 employees and their industry is not on the exemption list
OSHA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), or a state agency under the authority of OSHA or the BLS can still ask for these forms and they must be provided. In addition, all employers must report fatalities, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye to OSHA. For more information on exemptions, click here.
Can I report injuries to OSHA online?
Yes, you can report injuries to OSHA through their online Injury Tracking Application. To use the application, you must create an account on the system and provide the Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the business you’re reporting the injury on behalf of. The need for the EIN is a new requirement with Form 300A.
If you need further information on what to report and how to classify injuries and illnesses, see my previous post, “What Incidents Need to be Reported to OSHA?”. If you need help with your company’s reporting or help completing the required OSHA forms, contact us for assistance. They are experts in managing safety compliance and provide this service at a reasonable cost for any size company.
Sources:
United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 2004
