What Is Recordable Injury
A recordable injury is any work-related injury or illness that requires treatment beyond first aid and must be logged on OSHA Form 300. Under 29 CFR 1904, employers with 10 or more employees are required to maintain these records and post them annually from February 1 to April 30.
The definition hinges on two criteria: the injury or illness must be work-related, and it must involve one of the following outcomes: medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, restricted work or job transfer, days away from work, or diagnosis by a healthcare provider of a work-related condition even if no other outcome has occurred.
OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements
OSHA defines first aid narrowly to limit what counts as non-recordable. First aid includes wound cleaning, bandaging, minor suturing, splinting of minor sprains and strains, eye irrigation, and over-the-counter medications. Anything beyond this triggers recording obligations.
You must record an injury within seven calendar days of learning about it. The OSHA 300 Log tracks date of injury, employee information, description of what happened, and injury classification. Most recordable injuries also appear on the OSHA 301 Incident Report form, which provides additional context required during inspections.
Recordable injuries stay on the log for five years following the end of the year in which they occurred. During OSHA audits and investigations, these records are among the first documents inspectors request. Non-compliance carries penalties up to $16,131 per violation as of 2024.
Workplace vs. Home Safety Context
For employers, recordable injuries directly impact your TCIR (Total Case Incident Rate), which insurance companies use to set premiums. A facility averaging three recordable injuries per 200,000 hours worked sits at the national median. Lower rates qualify you for safety incentives and reduced workers' compensation costs.
For homeowners, while OSHA recordkeeping doesn't apply, the definition clarifies injury severity for personal safety planning. A fall requiring stitches or imaging, a chemical burn needing professional treatment, or a burn requiring medical assessment all constitute serious incidents warranting emergency preparedness review.
Chemical and Fire Safety Applications
Chemical burns, inhalation injuries, and respiratory exposures almost always meet recordable criteria because they require medical evaluation. Eye injuries from chemical splash must be recorded even if only rinsed, since employers must document the incident and seek professional assessment. Fire safety incidents, including smoke inhalation or thermal burns affecting any body surface area, are recordable.
During safety audits, inspectors scrutinize chemical handling logs against injury records to identify gaps. If an employee reports chemical exposure but no recordable injury was logged, this raises compliance questions.
Common Questions
- Does a doctor's visit automatically make an injury recordable? Not necessarily. A visit for evaluation alone doesn't trigger recording if treatment falls within first aid parameters. However, if the doctor prescribes medication, performs sutures, issues work restrictions, or documents a diagnosis, the injury becomes recordable.
- What's the difference between recordable injury and lost time injury? A Lost Time Injury is a subset of recordable injuries, specifically those causing an employee to miss work days. An injury can be recordable without being a lost time injury if the worker returns to duty the next day, even with restrictions.
- Must we record an incident if the employee refuses medical treatment? If the injury meets recordable criteria (requires treatment beyond first aid) but the employee refuses care, you still record it with a note of refusal. The hazard and injury severity determine recording, not the worker's choice.