Dashpivot article page – OSHA 300 vs 301
OSHA 300 vs 301
What is OSHA 300?
OSHA Form 300 is the log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. This form is used to classify work-related injuries and illnesses and to document the extent and severity of each case. Employers are required to maintain and regularly review these records and must keep a log for each recordable employee injury and illness.
What is OSHA 301?
OSHA Form 301 is the Injury and Illness Incident Report. This form is a more detailed individual record, which provides additional information about each specific case recorded in Form 300. Information recorded on the OSHA 301 includes details of the injured employee, a detailed description of the incident, the nature of injury or illness, the medical treatment given, the outcome of the case, and more specific details about the incident and it's outcomes.
When do you need OSHA 300 and 300a?
OSHA Form 300 is needed whenever a recordable work-related injury or illness occurs. Recordable injuries and illnesses generally include:
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work or transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid
- Loss of consciousness
- A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional
OSHA form 300 should be filled out within seven calendar days of learning about a recordable work-related injury or illness. The log must be maintained at the worksite for at least five years, and each February through April, employers must post a summary of the injuries and illnesses recorded the previous year.
OSHA Form 300A is a summary of the work-related injuries and illnesses recorded in the OSHA 300 log. At the end of each calendar year, employers are required to review the OSHA 300 log, verify the entries on it, and correct any discrepancies. Then they must summarize the information from the OSHA 300 log on the OSHA 300A form.
Even if there were no recordable incidents in the past year, employers are still required to post the 300A form, with zeros entered in the appropriate lines. The form must be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted, from February 1st to April 30th of the year following the year covered by the form.
Keep in mind that not all employers are required to keep OSHA 300 logs. Small businesses with fewer than 10 employees at all times during the last calendar year and certain low-hazard industries are exempt from this requirement.
When do you need OSHA 301?
OSHA Form 300 and OSHA Form 301 serve different but complementary purposes in the reporting and recording of workplace injuries and illnesses.
OSHA Form 301 is used to provide a much more detailed account of each individual work-related injury or illness that gets recorded on Form 300. The form asks for a lot of information, including the employee's name, the employee's home address, the date and time of the incident, the location where the incident occurred, a description of what the employee was doing immediately before the incident, a description of what happened, the object or substance that caused the harm, the healthcare provider's information, and more.
The injuries and illnesses that are considered significant are the same as the checklist for form 300 above.
The information recorded on the OSHA Form 301 or equivalent includes details of the injured or ill employee and the treating physician, a description of the case, the date of the injury or illness and where it happened, what the employee was doing at the time, what happened, what object or substance directly harmed the employee, and more.
This record must be kept for five years following the year to which they pertain. But, just like with OSHA Form 300, small businesses with fewer than 10 employees and certain low-risk industries are exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements.
See examples of OSHA log 300 and OSHA form 301 below.
Use and customise this free OSHA 300 log and 300a form template
Use the free OSHA 301 injury and illness incident report template
Use a digital OSHA 300 and 301 form templates
Use a digital OSHA 300 log template or OSHA 301 incident report form template to quickly enable your team to document injuries and illnesses as soon as something happens, not spending time chasing up documentation.
Share your digital templates to your team in the field, and add any fields you need via the drag and drop form builder.
Add contactless or manual digital signoff to make it quick and easy to signoff approval to keep everything compliant.
Maintain easy compliance with a digital OSHA app
Using digital templates for your OSHA 300 and 301 forms can help ensure your forms and logs get filled out accurately and in a timely fashion.
A digital app for your OSHA 300 log and 301 forms can help build digital workflows around OSHA compliance.
Build automated workflows for signoff approval once a form is submitted.
Keep track of your incident report forms in the Register view to ensure everything is in your summary form and log, and analytics to track performance.
Hot Works Permit template
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Lock Out Tag Out template
Use this LOTO template as a framework for doing all of your lock and tag outs properly and safely.
Hazard Identification Checklist
Make identifying hazards a more integral part of your processes.
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