OSHA 300 vs 300A vs 301: What Each Form Does in 2026
The OSHA 300 logs each recordable case, the 301 documents each case in detail, and the 300A totals the year for certification and posting.
Quick answer
The OSHA 300 logs each recordable case, the 301 documents each case in detail, and the 300A totals the year for certification and posting. You fill in the 300 and 301 as cases happen, within 7 calendar days, and complete the 300A once a year from the reviewed log.
Year-end filing gets confusing when teams treat the Log, the Summary, and the Incident Report as one document.
The rule in plain English
OSHA recordkeeping uses three forms (29 CFR 1904.29). The OSHA 300 Log lists every recordable case with a one- or two-line description. The OSHA 301 Incident Report, or an equivalent form such as an insurance first report of injury that carries the same information, holds the detail for each case. The OSHA 300A Summary totals the log at year end. Each recordable case must be on the 300 and the 301 within 7 calendar days of receiving information that it occurred. The 300A is the only form you post, from February 1 to April 30, and a company executive certifies it first (29 CFR 1904.32).
What this looks like in practice
Use the 300 as the working log, the 301 as the case detail, and the 300A as the public annual summary. When the three forms live in separate files, the log, the incident reports, and the summary drift apart, and the certified numbers stop matching the case files. The fix is to treat the forms as one record with three views: a case number ties each 300 row to its 301, and the 300A is only ever totaled from the reviewed log.
As the safety manager you usually own the decision itself, so the most useful habit is writing down the fact each call rests on at the time you make it.
The mistake to avoid
Teams often post the 300 Log or forget that the 300A is certified separately. Post only the certified 300A, and route it to a company executive before it goes up.
Every 300 entry feeds the 300A totals, the TRIR and DART rates built from them, and, for establishments that must submit case data, a row in the ITA file. A description written carelessly in March is the one an employee reads when they ask for the log in October.
Edge cases worth checking
- Privacy cases can appear on the 300 with the name removed while the 301 still needs enough internal detail.
- Records kept in software count if the system can produce equivalent forms on demand: by the end of the next business day for an employee request and within 4 business hours for a government request.
Example
A warehouse associate fractures a toe when a pallet jack rolls over it. Within 7 days the case goes on the 300 Log as case 2026-009 (“Fractured left toe, pallet jack wheel”, column J, injury) and the 301 records what the associate was doing, what happened, and where they were treated. In January the log's totals, including case 2026-009, become one line of numbers on the 300A, which the site's general manager certifies and posts. The 301 stays in the file (the employee can get a copy of their own, and OSHA can ask for it), employees can request the 300, and everyone at the site sees the posted 300A.
Step by step
- Open an incident record and decide whether the case is recordable.
- Enter recordable cases on the 300 and complete the 301 within 7 calendar days.
- Review the log for completeness at year end.
- Total the columns on the 300A and have a company executive certify it.
- Post the 300A from February 1 to April 30, and keep all three forms for five years.
What to keep in the case file:
- The 300 Log with stable case numbers
- A 301 or equivalent for every case on the log
- The confidential privacy case list, if you have privacy cases
- The certified 300A and the worksheet behind its totals
Where 300log helps
300log builds the 300 row, the 301 detail, and the 300A totals from a single incident record, so the three forms cannot drift apart, and it exports each one as a PDF when you need to post, print, or hand over a copy.
For a quick answer without an account, use the free recordability checker.
Frequently asked questions
Do I post the OSHA 300 Log?
No. Only the 300A Summary is posted, from February 1 to April 30. The 300 Log and the 301 reports stay in your records and are provided on request to employees, former employees, their representatives, and government representatives.
How fast does a case have to be on the 300 and 301?
Within 7 calendar days of receiving information that a recordable injury or illness occurred (29 CFR 1904.29(b)(3)).
Can a workers' compensation form replace the OSHA 301?
Yes, if it contains the same information as the 301, is as readable and understandable, and is completed using the same instructions. Attach a supplement for any 301 items the insurance form leaves out.
Can we keep OSHA forms on a computer?
Yes, as long as the system can produce equivalent forms when employees or government representatives need them (29 CFR 1904.29(b)(5)).
Sources
Primary regulation and agency guidance this article relies on.
- [1]29 CFR 1904.29: OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301Occupational Safety and Health Administration · osha.gov(opens in a new tab)
- [2]29 CFR 1904.32: Annual summary certification and postingOccupational Safety and Health Administration · osha.gov(opens in a new tab)
- [3]29 CFR 1904.7: General recording criteriaOccupational Safety and Health Administration · osha.gov(opens in a new tab)
Written and reviewed by the 300log Editorial Team. Guidance, not legal advice: confirm edge cases with OSHA or counsel.