The OSHA 300 Log, Explained for Contractors
The OSHA 300 log is the running record of work-related injuries and illnesses that meet OSHA recording criteria: death, days away from work, restricted duty or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness. Employers with more than 10 employees in covered industries must log each recordable case within 7 calendar days, summarize the year on Form 300A, and post that summary from February 1 to April 30.
Who is exempt
Companies with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the year are exempt from routine OSHA recordkeeping (though not from reporting severe incidents). Count company-wide employment, not per-site. Construction is not on the low-hazard industry exemption list, so contractors above 10 employees must keep the log.
What counts as recordable
- ✓ Any work-related death (also report to OSHA within 8 hours)
- ✓ Days away from work beyond the day of injury
- ✓ Restricted work or transfer to another job
- ✓ Medical treatment beyond first aid (stitches, prescriptions, splints for fractures)
- ✓ Loss of consciousness
- ✓ Amputations and hospitalizations are also reportable to OSHA directly within 24 hours
The three forms
- ✓ Form 300: the log itself, one line per case
- ✓ Form 301: the incident report with case details, one per case
- ✓ Form 300A: the annual summary, signed by an executive, posted February 1 to April 30
Why GCs and insurers ask for it
Your 300 logs feed your TRIR and DART rates, which prequal portals and GCs use to score you. Calculate yours with our free TRIR calculator, and keep the log current: reconstructing a year of cases in January is how numbers get wrong.
Common questions
▸Is first aid recordable on the OSHA 300 log?
No. Cases needing only first aid (cleaning wounds, bandages, non-prescription medication at non-prescription strength, removing splinters) are not recordable, even when a doctor provides the first aid.
▸How long must I keep OSHA 300 logs?
Five years following the end of the calendar year the records cover, and you must update logged cases during that period if they change.
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