Correcting the OSHA 300A After Posting: When to Update the Annual Summary
If numbers change while the 300A is posted, update the 300 Log first; posting a corrected 300A is optional but often clearer for employees.
What you are aiming for
If numbers change while the 300A is posted, update the 300 Log first; posting a corrected 300A is optional but often clearer for employees. Either way, keep a record of what changed and why.
Late medical facts can change totals after the 300A is already certified and posted.
What you need before you start
Gather these first, and keep them with the record afterward:
- The 300 Log with line-outs or a change history showing original and new entries
- The privacy case list for the same years
- Certified 300A summaries and the worksheets behind them
- The date and reason for each post-year-end change
The rule behind the steps
Keep the 300 Log, the privacy case list, the 300A, and the 301 reports for five years following the end of the calendar year they cover (29 CFR 1904.33); 2026 records are kept through the end of 2031. During those five years you must keep the 300 Log current: add newly discovered recordable cases and update entries whose classification or outcome changes, lining out the original. Updating the 300A and the 301s is optional. If the business is sold, the seller transfers the records and the buyer keeps them for the rest of the period (29 CFR 1904.34).
Step by step
- Review the changed case.
- Update the log.
- Recalculate the totals.
- Route the change for review and keep the correction trail.
Tip: Update the underlying OSHA records and document whether a corrected summary should be posted or retained.
Where this usually goes wrong
Teams change dashboards without changing the OSHA support records.
The log keeps changing after the 300A comes down, and a year-end PDF that never gets updated drifts away from the facts. The fix is to treat stored logs as live records: every late fact updates the right year's log, with the original lined out and the change dated.
EHS managers usually run the monthly review, which is the best point to catch the late medical updates that change a case.
Special situations
- The answer depends on what changed and whether the posted summary is still current.
- A change of ownership transfers the obligation to keep the records, but the new owner does not have to correct the prior owner's entries.
Example
In March, a case posted as “other recordable” turns into 10 days away. The log is updated. Because the summary is still on the wall, the site recalculates the 300A, has the plant manager certify the corrected version, and posts it with the original filed behind it.
How it affects the rest of your records
Updates to stored logs change the rates you report internally and can affect what you would resubmit to the ITA, even though the posted 300A does not have to be redone.
Where 300log helps
300log keeps each establishment's log by year, so a late update goes on the log for the year the case occurred and that year's totals are recalculated.
For a quick answer without an account, use the free deadline calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Which records are included?
The 300 Log, the privacy case list if you have one, the 300A, and the 301 Incident Reports or their equivalents.
How long must OSHA 300 logs be kept?
Five years following the end of the calendar year they cover. 2026 records are kept through the end of 2031.
Do we have to update old logs?
Yes. During the five years, update the 300 Log for newly discovered cases and for changes in classification or outcome.
Do we have to update the 300A after changes?
No. Updating the annual summary is optional.
Sources
Primary regulation and agency guidance this article relies on.
- [1]29 CFR 1904.33: Retention and updatingOccupational 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.