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Safety & OSHAaka: OSHA 300aka: injury logaka: 300 log

OSHA 300 Log

In Plain English

The required log where employers record every work-related injury or illness that occurs during the year.

Definition

The OSHA 300 Log is an injury and illness recording form that employers with 11 or more employees must maintain to document work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses throughout the year. The companion OSHA 300A Summary is posted annually from February 1 through April 30 and is electronically submitted to OSHA for establishments in covered industries. The log tracks case type, days away from work, restricted work, and job transfer.

Why It Matters in Bidding

The injury data captured in the OSHA 300 Log feeds the metrics, such as recordable incident rates and EMR, that owners use to prequalify and screen bidders, making accurate recordkeeping a competitiveness issue, not just a compliance one. Underreporting risks citations and penalties, while a clean, well-documented record strengthens a contractor's standing on bid lists. Estimators and safety managers also use trend data from the log to justify safety investments carried in general conditions.

Example

When completing a prequalification questionnaire for a hospital project, a contractor's safety director pulls three years of OSHA 300 Logs to report recordable incident rates, knowing the owner will compare those numbers against other bidders.

Related Terms

OSHANear MissSite Safety PlanFirst Aid

Frequently Asked Questions

Employers with 11 or more employees in covered industries must maintain the log to record work-related injuries and illnesses, unless they fall under a partial exemption. Construction firms above the threshold generally must keep it. Smaller employers may still be required to report severe incidents like fatalities and certain hospitalizations directly to OSHA.
The 300 Log is the detailed running record of individual injury and illness cases throughout the year, including case type and days away from work. The 300A is the annual summary of those totals that employers post in the workplace from February 1 through April 30 and, where required, submit electronically to OSHA.
Owners often request several years of logs to calculate recordable incident rates and compare a contractor's safety performance against peers. Combined with the experience modification rate, this data influences who makes the bid list. A strong, accurately maintained record can be a competitive advantage during prequalification.

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