OSHA Form 301

What Is OSHA Form 301?

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Form 301, “Injury and Illness Incident Report,” is used by employers to keep a record of a single injury, illness, or death in a workplace. This form is found within OSHA Form 300, which is used to log and classify all such incidents for a workplace. Each incident recorded on OSHA Form 300 must also be documented in greater detail on OSHA Form 301.  

Which Incidents Must Be Recorded on OSHA Form 301?

OSHA considers injuries and illnesses to be recordable if they are serious, directly related to an employee’s work, and happen while the worker is doing their job. Recordable injuries include:

• Fatalities

• Injuries or illnesses that cause unconsciousness, days off from work, restricted work, or job transfers

• Diagnosed cancer, irreversible chronic conditions, broken teeth or bones, and punctured eardrums

• Injuries requiring professional care

Minor injuries that only require first aid, like a bandage or ice pack, don’t have to be recorded. Also, different rules apply for certain conditions including tuberculosis and hearing loss. Visit the OSHA website for more details about the regulations for recordable injuries and illnesses.

Who Must Complete OSHA Form 301?

Only businesses in industries that have a high risk of serious employee injury or illness are required to complete OSHA Form 301. To see a list of those industries, click here.To see which lower-risk industries are exempt from this requirement, click here. There is also an exemption for employers in all industries who have no more than 10 employees. 

Separately, all employers are required to quickly report to OSHA any workplace incident that results in a death, in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye. This separate reporting requirement can be met by calling OSHA or completing their Serious Event Reporting Online Form.

What Information Must Be Entered on OSHA Form 301?

To create a complete record of an incident, OSHA Form 301 asks for a variety of information, including:

• Basic information about the employee, such as name, address, and when hired

• The date and time of the incident

• What the employee was doing just before the incident

• How the injury or illness occurred

• What part of the body was affected

• Any object or substance that directly harmed the employee during the incident

• Name of healthcare provider

• Where treatment was given

• Whether the employee was hospitalized

• The date of death if the employee passed away

When Must OSHA Form 301 Be Completed?

Employers must fill out OSHA Form 301 no later than seven days after they learn of a recordable workplace injury or illness. However, they may choose to fill out an alternative form instead as long as it includes all of the same information as OSHA Form 301. These equivalent forms might come from an insurance company, worker’s compensation, or other sources.

Do You Have to Send Form 301 to OSHA?

Employers don’t have to submit a completed Form 301 to OSHA. Instead, they need to keep it on file for at least five years after the year the incident occurred. Accurate injury and illness records help employers create a safer workplace, and if questions arise about an incident, OSHA Form 301 can help resolve any disputes and ensure both employer and employee are treated fairly.