The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that all employers who are required to maintain the OSHA 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses post a summary of the previous year’s log between February 1st and April 30th each year, even if no incidents occurred in the preceding calendar year.
The summary (OSHA Form 300A) must be certified by a company executive and posted in a conspicuous location where notices to employees are customarily posted.
How Do You Know If You Need to Maintain and Post an OSHA Log?
Employers in nonexempt industries with more than 10 employees are required to maintain an OSHA log and post the summary. If your company has not maintained an OSHA log in the past, you may now be required to do so as the list of industries covered by this requirement changed in 2015. Some larger employers and those in certain high-risk industries are also required to submit records electronically in 2017.
You can visit the OSHA website for more information on these requirements and changes.
If your organization is required to maintain an OSHA Injury and Illness Log, you must complete the Summary Log Form 300A and post it even if there have been no recordable injuries or illnesses.
The summary you post must include the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in the previous year. This summary log reports total year-end deaths, missed workdays due to injury or illness on the job, and the injuries and illnesses as recorded on Form 300.
Executive Certification
A company executive needs to certify that they have examined the OSHA 300 Log and attest that he/she believes it is true, accurate, and complete.
A company executive must be one of the following:
- An owner of the company (only if the company is a sole proprietorship or partnership)
- An officer of the corporation
- The highest ranking company official working at the establishment
- The immediate supervisor of the highest ranking company official working at the establishment.
For More Information
Visit the OSHA website for more information on the posting requirements, the list of partially exempt industries, 2017 electronic reporting requirements, and for copies of the forms: https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/index.html.