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 the workplace. This form is  found within OSHA Form 300  , which is used to log and classify all such incidents for the workplace. Each incident recorded on OSHA Form 300 must be documented in more detail on OSHA Form 301.

What incidents must be reported on OSHA Form 301?

OSHA considers injuries and illnesses recordable if they are serious, directly related to the employee's work, and occurred while the employee was working. Recordable injuries include:

• Fatal consequences
• Injuries or illnesses that cause unconsciousness, time off work, work restrictions, or job transfers
• A diagnosis of cancer, irreversible chronic disease, broken teeth or bones, and a perforated eardrum
• Injuries requiring professional care

Minor injuries that require only first aid, such as a bandage or ice bag, do not need to be recorded. Also, different rules apply for certain conditions, such as tuberculosis and hearing loss.  Visit the OSHA website for more information on the rules for recordable injuries and illnesses  .

Who must fill out OSHA Form 301?

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

Separately,  all  employers are required to immediately report to OSHA any workplace incident that results in death, hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye. This separate reporting requirement   can be met by calling OSHA or completing their Serious Incident Reporting online form .

What information must be recorded on OSHA Form 301?

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

• Basic information about the employee, such as name, address, and when hired
• Date and time of the incident
• what the employee was doing just before the incident
• How did the injury or illness occur?
• Which part of the body was affected?
• Any object or substance that directly caused harm to the employee during the incident
• name of healthcare provider
• Where was the treatment given?
• Whether the employee was hospitalized
• Date of death, if the employee has died

When must OSHA Form 301 be filed?

Employers must file OSHA Form 301 within seven days of learning of a recordable injury or illness in the workplace. However, they may choose to file an alternate form instead, provided it includes all of the same information as OSHA Form 301. These equivalent forms may come from an insurance company, workers compensation, or other sources.

Do you have to send Form 301 to OSHA?

Employers are not required to submit the completed Form 301 to OSHA. Instead, they must keep it on file for at least five years after the year of the incident. Accurate injury and illness records help employers create a safe workplace, and if questions arise about an incident, OSHA Form 301 can help resolve any disputes and ensure that both employer and employee are treated fairly.