Supervisor Incident Intake Checklist for OSHA Recordkeeping
Supervisors should capture the facts the OSHA criteria depend on: the task, the location, the equipment, the treatment, and any change in work status.
What you are aiming for
Supervisors should capture the facts the OSHA criteria depend on: the task, the location, the equipment, the treatment, and any change in work status. Opinions about fault or recordability can wait; on day one the goal is facts, times, and the names of witnesses.
Recordability decisions improve when supervisors capture the right facts on day one.
What you need before you start
Gather these first, and keep them with the record afterward:
- 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
The rule behind the steps
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).
Intake fields that matter
- Date and time of the incident, and when it was reported
- Where it happened, and which establishment the employee belongs to
- What the employee was doing, and whether it was part of their job
- The equipment, material, or substance involved
- Witnesses and their contact details
- First aid given on site, and by whom
- Where the employee went for care, with any written recommendation
- Whether the employee finished the shift, and any restrictions
Step by step
- Get care first, then start the intake.
- Record the facts on a short standard form the same day.
- Send provider notes and work-status changes to safety as they arrive.
- Attach photos and witness notes to the case.
Tip: Collect the task, location, witnesses, equipment, exposure, medical direction, and work status before the case is classified.
Where this usually goes wrong
Teams ask supervisors for a narrative but not the facts tied to OSHA criteria.
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.
Supervisors hear about most injuries first. The job is not to decide recordability but to capture the facts while they are fresh.
Special situations
- Remote work, travel, and shared worksites need extra establishment and activity 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 night-shift supervisor's intake for a hand injury says when it happened (02:40), where (press 4), what the operator was doing (clearing a jam with the guard open), what first aid was given (bandage by the shift lead), where the operator went (urgent care, note attached), and that they finished the shift on light tasks. The safety manager can decide the case the next morning without a single follow-up call.
How it affects the rest of your records
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.
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
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)).
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.
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 1904.5: Determination of work-relatednessOccupational 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.