OSHA 300 Log
Employers are required to maintain a record of work-related injuries on two separate forms. One is OSHA 300, Log of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. The other is OSHA 300A, Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. Another OSHA requirement, Form 301, is the First Report of Injury form that is filled out by the attending physician. This form is discussed in Chapter 9.
Injuries that are reportable on Log 300 are ones that include the following:
Death
Medical treatment beyond first aid
Loss of consciousness
Significant injury or illness
Missed days of work
Days of restricted work
Transfer to another job
When reporting an injury or illness that qualifies as a privacy case, do not indicate the employee's name on the OSHA 300 Log. Instead, refer to the employee as “Privacy Case” and log the employee's identity elsewhere in a confidential file. A few of the incidents that qualify as a privacy case are sexual assaults, injuries to private parts of the body, and communicable diseases.
If an employee has a minor injury that needs only first aid, such as a bandage or ice pack, the injury does not need to be reported on the 300 Log. This applies to first aid that takes place at the work site or a medical facility. Refer to Chapter 9 for record-keeping procedures for minor injuries. All other injuries that happen to employees who are under the supervision of the employer — which includes temporary and contract workers — must be entered on OSHA Log 300 within seven days of the fatality, injury, or illness.
If you question whether or not an employee should see a doctor, send him to be on the safe side. For instance, if a cut looks like it might need stitches, send the employee to your workers' compensation physician. If he doesn't need stitches, the injury will still be considered a first-aid non-reportable injury if he receives only first-aid treatment.
Keep a first-aid kit stocked with basic first-aid supplies such as bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze, etc. for first-aid treatments that can be administered in the workplace. Following is a list of a few treatments recognized as first aid by OSHA. You can find a complete list by visiting
Hot or cold therapy
Use of bandages, elastic bandages, or finger guards during first visit
Treatment of first-degree burns
Need for hot or cold therapy
Use of nonprescription medications
Easy removal of splinters or other foreign matters
Negative X-ray diagnosis
Physician observation of minor injury
Reportable Restricted Work
Restricted work after an injury occurs when an employee cannot perform one or more of his routine duties, or is unable to work a full workday. Therefore, if an employee is able to return to work but is unable to stand for more than an hour at a time and must sit down during part of the workday, he is on restricted duty if this is something he normally would not do. If an employee can perform all functions of his job but for a shorter period of time, this is considered a restriction as well. These restricted duties are reportable on OSHA Log 300.
Reportable Missed Work
When an employee misses one or more days of work, the time off is reportable starting with the first day after the injury. If an employee is initially taken off work for six days, and the physician extends the time off, update the extra days off as you are notified. Do not start a new entry if an employee's time off from work is extended. You should start a new entry for the employee only if he has another injury in the future.
When is it required to report an accident to OSHA?
Report a workplace fatality or an injury or illness that requires three or more days of hospitalization to OSHA within eight hours of notification. You can visit the nearest OSHA office or call the OSHA hotline at 1-800-321-OSHA. There is an exception for some vehicular or public-transportation accidents.
When calculating days off, include weekends, holidays, and any other days that the employee was not scheduled to work. This is because the recordable days are those in which an employee is unable to work and does not take into consideration whether or not he would be scheduled to work. There is a limit to the number of days away from work that must be recorded. Once an employee has missed 180 calendar days of work, you are not required to keep track of additional days off work. The total number of days missed for that employee will be reported as 180. This will be the number recorded in the total column.
Nonreportable Incidents
Not every employee incident is reportable, even if it occurs on company property or while the employee is on the clock. Here are a few examples:
An injury that occurs while on property as a customer or visitor during nonwork hours
Involvement in a vehicle accident on the way to or from work, including those that take place in the company parking lot
Injuries or illnesses that result during personal functions such as eating, taking medications, or grooming
Delayed symptoms from nonwork-related injuries or illnesses that happened earlier in the day or week
Injuries or illnesses that occur while an employee is clocked out for lunch during the workday
Summary and Posting Requirements
After the end of the year, review the OSHA 300 Log for completeness and transfer the information to the 300A Summary Form. This log must be posted in a common area for employees that cannot be accessed by the general public, from February 1 through April 30 of the following year (e.g., the OSHA 300A Form for the year ended December 31, 2008 must be posted from February 1, 2009 through April 30, 2009). Once the summary is removed from the posting area, it must be kept on file for five years.
