14 First Aid Treatments That Are Not Recordable on the OSHA 300 Log

OSHA defines first aid as a closed list of 14 treatments in 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii); a case treated only with items on that list is not recordable on that basis. Anything not on the list is medical treatment, even if it seems minor, and the list applies no matter who provides the treatment.

First aid calls are common, but recordability often depends on exactly what treatment was recommended.

A case goes on the OSHA 300 Log when three things are true: it is work-related (29 CFR 1904.5), it is a new case (29 CFR 1904.6), and it meets at least one general recording criterion (29 CFR 1904.7). The criteria are death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional (cancer, a chronic irreversible disease, a fractured or cracked bone, or a punctured eardrum). Special rules add needlesticks, medical removal, hearing loss, and tuberculosis (29 CFR 1904.8 to 1904.11).

These 14 treatments are first aid under 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii). Anything else is medical treatment.

1. Nonprescription medication at nonprescription strength (a recommendation to use it at prescription strength is medical treatment)
2. Tetanus immunizations (other immunizations, such as hepatitis B or rabies vaccine, are medical treatment)
3. Cleaning, flushing, or soaking wounds on the surface of the skin
4. Wound coverings such as bandages, gauze pads, butterfly bandages, or Steri-Strips (sutures, staples, and other closing devices are medical treatment)
5. Hot or cold therapy
6. Non-rigid means of support, such as elastic bandages, wraps, or non-rigid back belts (devices with rigid stays are medical treatment)
7. Temporary immobilization devices while transporting an accident victim, such as splints, slings, neck collars, or back boards
8. Drilling a fingernail or toenail to relieve pressure, or draining fluid from a blister
9. Eye patches
10. Removing foreign bodies from the eye using only irrigation or a cotton swab
11. Removing splinters or foreign material from areas other than the eye by irrigation, tweezers, cotton swabs, or other simple means
12. Finger guards
13. Massages (physical therapy and chiropractic treatment are medical treatment)
14. Drinking fluids for relief of heat stress

Compare the treatment to OSHA's complete first aid list before logging the case. Recordability answers change as medical facts arrive, so a case decided on day one without notes is hard to defend in January. The fix is to decide in order (work-relatedness, new case, criteria) and to write down the treatment and work-status facts each decision rests on, including medication strength.

Coordinators tend to do the data entry and chase the facts, so a short list of what to ask for, and from whom, saves more time than any template.

Teams miss prescription-strength medication because the drug name sounds ordinary. Record the dose, not just the drug name, so the strength question can be answered later.

Each recordable case adds to the 300A totals and the TRIR; days-away and restricted cases also count toward DART. For establishments with 100 or more employees in Appendix B industries, each case also becomes a row in the ITA case data.

• Repeated first aid can remain first aid when it stays inside the OSHA list.
• A recommendation counts even if the employee declines it: prescription medication that is prescribed but never filled still makes the case recordable.

A nurse removes a splinter with tweezers and applies a butterfly bandage: two list items, so the case stays off the log. The same afternoon, another employee's splinter is embedded deeper and a physician removes it with a scalpel. That is not a “simple means”, so it is medical treatment and the case is recordable.

1. Write down exactly what treatment was given or recommended.
2. Note the strength of any medication.
3. Compare each item with the 14-item list.
4. Record the case if anything falls outside the list.
5. Keep the provider's note with the decision.

What to keep in the case file:

• What the provider recommended, in writing if possible, including medication strength
• Work status notes (full duty, restrictions, or days away) with dates
• The work-relatedness basis and any exception considered
• The date you learned of the case and the date it became recordable

300log records each case's outcome, day counts, and case type in the columns the OSHA 300 Log uses, shows OSHA's definitions (such as restricted work) while you classify, and recalculates the 300A whenever a case changes.

For a quick answer without an account, use the free recordability checker.

• Restricted Work vs Job Transfer on OSHA Logs
• Medical Treatment Beyond First Aid: OSHA Recordability Examples
• Is Loss of Consciousness Always OSHA Recordable?
• OSHA 180-Day Cap: How to Count Long Days Away and Restricted Cases