Days Away, Restricted Work, and Transfer Cases: How DART Classifications Work

DART cases are cases with days away (column H) or restriction or job transfer (column I); each counts once, in its most serious column. The days go in columns K and L, but the DART rate counts cases, not days.

One checked box on the OSHA 300 can change DART reporting and leadership attention.

DART cases are the ones checked in column H (days away from work) or column I (job transfer or restriction) of the 300 Log. Each case is checked once, in the most serious column that applies (death, then days away, then restriction or transfer, then other), but both day counts are entered: days away in column K and restricted or transferred days in column L. Count calendar days, starting the day after the injury or illness began (29 CFR 1904.7(b)(3)). Restricted work means the employee cannot perform one or more routine functions (activities done at least once a week) or cannot work the full workday, whether you impose it or a provider recommends it (1904.7(b)(4)). You may stop counting at 180 days.

Classify cases by days-away, restricted-work, or job-transfer outcomes rather than by injury labels. DART is where cases and days get confused: the rate counts cases, while the log also carries day totals that leadership often reads as the same thing. The fix is to track each case's status day by day (away, restricted, transferred, or full duty) and derive both the column and the day counts from that record.

Analysts see the data after it is entered, so reconciling the log against source documents is where you add the most value.

Teams confuse restricted days with restricted cases when building dashboards.

Column H and I cases drive the DART rate and the 300A totals; the day counts in K and L go on the 300A too, and into the ITA file for covered establishments.

• A case can move from restricted work to days away as medical instructions change.
• Weekends, holidays, and scheduled days off count if the employee could not have worked them because of the injury.

A case starts as restricted work (column I) after a knee strain. Two weeks later the employee has surgery and is off for 20 days. The case moves to column H, the restricted days stay in column L, and the 20 days away go in column K. It still counts as one DART case.

1. Track each case's outcome category.
2. Update the log when the facts change.
3. Reconcile the H and I totals before the 300A.

What to keep in the case file:

• Provider notes with restriction dates and what was restricted
• The employee's routine functions, from a job analysis or supervisor
• Day-by-day status: away, restricted, transferred, or full duty
• Estimates for cases still open at year end and when they were updated

300log keeps days away and restricted days on each case, carries them into the 300A totals, and lets you update the counts as a case develops, so the posted summary and the DART rate come from the same entries.

For a quick answer without an account, use the free rate calculator.

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