Recordable vs Non-Recordable OSHA Cases: Examples Safety Teams Actually Use
A work-related case is recordable if it leads to days away, restricted work, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, a significant diagnosis, or death.
The short answer
A work-related case is recordable if it leads to days away, restricted work, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, a significant diagnosis, or death. Everything else, including first-aid-only cases, observation visits, and diagnostic tests, stays off the log.
The hardest decisions usually sit between first aid, restricted work, and medical treatment.
The rule in plain English
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).
Side-by-side examples
- Not recordable: a cut cleaned and closed with Steri-Strips. Recordable: the same cut closed with sutures, staples, or surgical glue.
- Not recordable: ibuprofen at the dose on the label. Recordable: a recommendation to take it at prescription strength, or any prescription drug.
- Not recordable: an elastic wrap for a sore wrist. Recordable: a rigid splint designed to immobilize it.
- Not recordable: an x-ray that shows no fracture. Recordable: an x-ray that shows a cracked bone, even with no other treatment.
- Not recordable: a restriction that applies only to the day of injury. Recordable: the same restriction on the next scheduled workday.
- Not recordable: a massage. Recordable: physical therapy or chiropractic treatment.
How it plays out on site
Use a decision path instead of asking whether the injury feels serious. 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.
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 common mistake
Teams often record every clinic visit even when treatment stays within OSHA first aid.
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.
Edge cases
- Delayed restrictions or later prescriptions can turn an initially minor case into a recordable one.
- A recommendation counts even if the employee declines it: prescription medication that is prescribed but never filled still makes the case recordable.
Worked example
One Monday, three employees visit the same clinic. A cut finger is cleaned and closed with Steri-Strips: not recordable. A sprained ankle gets an x-ray (negative), ice, and an elastic wrap: not recordable. A back strain gets a prescription muscle relaxant and a note to avoid lifting over 20 pounds for a week: recordable, as a restricted case in column I.
Checklist
- Check work-relatedness.
- Check the outcome: death, days away, restriction, or loss of consciousness.
- Check treatment against the first aid list.
- Check for a significant diagnosis.
- Update the log if the facts change.
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
Where 300log helps
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is prescription medication always recordable?
A recommendation to use prescription medication, or a nonprescription drug at prescription strength, is medical treatment. The exception is medication used solely for diagnosis, such as eye drops to dilate pupils.
Who decides recordability, the doctor or the employer?
The employer. Providers supply the medical facts and recommendations; the employer applies Part 1904 to those facts and records the case.
What if the facts change after we log the case?
Update the log. If a first-aid case later needs medical treatment, or a recordable case later results in days away, change the entry (29 CFR 1904.33(b)).
Is a clinic visit automatically recordable?
No. A visit for observation, counseling, or diagnostic tests is not medical treatment. The case is recordable only if a recording criterion is met, such as treatment beyond first aid or a work restriction.
Sources
Primary regulation and agency guidance this article relies on.
- [1]29 CFR 1904.7: General recording criteriaOccupational Safety and Health Administration · osha.gov(opens in a new tab)
- [2]29 CFR 1904.5: Determination of work-relatednessOccupational Safety and Health Administration · osha.gov(opens in a new tab)
- [3]OSHA detailed guidance for the injury and illness recordkeeping ruleOccupational 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.