Post Your OSHA Log

“I’ve been keeping track of the workers’ compensation claims but am I just doing it for my own benefit?”

Your HR Survival Tip

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires you to track all workplace injuries and illnesses. There is both a Federal OSHA and California’s version, Cal-OSHA. Their goal is basically the same…a safe workplace free from injury and illness.

The information you have been tracking ends up on three different forms, OSHA Form 300, 300A, and 301. Each has a purpose but only Form 300A is posted each year from February 1st to April 30th. The forms haven’t changed since 2004, so you should be familiar with them and the process.

• Form 301 is used to record each incident so you have a complete record of what happened and how it happened, in what way the employee was injured, and the medical treatment(s) received. Use this form each time you have a workplace incident, even if it was minor enough not to require medical treatment. You are required to keep this form for 5 years from the date of the incident.
• Form 300 is used to log most of the incidents on one sheet, with each having their own line. You don’t have to add an incident to this form if only first aid was needed and no doctor was seen. This log provides you with a great overview and should help determine if additional safety training should be considered.
• Form 300A is merely a short, one-page summary of what you entered on Form 300. Every blank needs to be completed, even if you just put a zero in the spot. This is the form you need to post for 3 months.

OSHA’s forms packet comes with plenty of examples to help you complete each form. They want to make it easy for you and include the OSHA offices you can contact for help.

A couple of years ago, workers’ compensation insurance carriers revised the way they determine changes to your rates. They used to increase your rates based on the medical costs for each incident. However, they realized the number of incidents (regardless of the medical costs) were the real indicator of a company taking the proper safety precautions. This means an OSHA log with 10 little incidents may end up causing you higher rates than 1 big incident.

In the end, workplace safety is your responsibility. In California, you must have a written safety plan. In addition, you need to ensure your employees are properly trained and safety issues are found and resolved as quickly as possible. While we don’t provide safety plans or training, we have a great resource for you if you need it!