SAFETY SOLUTIONS: OSHA 300 Form

Are you ready for the new regulation? Well OSHA has come out with the new revised forms for tracking accidents and logging of injuries. Simpler, easier to follow requirements for tracking workplace injuries and illnesses are now in force for 1.4 million employers covered by OSHA's new recordkeeping rule.

"The new recordkeeping system is easier for employers to understand, better protects employee privacy in sensitive cases and will yield more accurate injury and illness data," said OSHA Administrator John L. Henshaw. "The new OSHA forms are smaller; they fit on legal size paper. We've also clarified and simplified the instructions for filling out the forms."

Last month, OSHA mailed forms to employers likely to be covered by the rule. In addition, new recordkeeping forms, training materials, fact sheets and other assistance are available on OSHA's website at www.osha-slc.gov/recordkeeping/index.html to help employers make the transition to the new system. Employers can also access the web version of a satellite-training broadcast the agency aired on December 12, 2001. The OSHA website also includes frequently asked questions as well as a listing of recordkeeping coordinators and local OSHA offices if employers have further questions or need more information.

As employers switch from the old OSHA 200 recordkeeping system to the new one, they will need to post their 2001 summary of injuries and illnesses during the month of February. Beginning in 2003, the annual summary is to be posted for three months-February, March and April.

1. Within 7 calendar days after you receive information about a case, decide if the case is recordable under the OSHA recordkeeping requirements.
   
2. Determine whether the incident is a new case or a recurrence of an existing one.
   
3. Establish whether the case was work related.
   
4. If the case is recordable, decide which form you will fill out as the injury and illness incident report.

You may use OSHA’s 301:Injury and Illness incident Report or an equivalent form. Some state workers compensation, insurance, or other reports may be acceptable substitutes, as long as they provide the same information as the OSHA 301.

1. Identify the employee involved unless it is a privacy concern case as described below.

Example: you have only one nurse in your workplace and she is injured and the case can be directed to her then you do not need to record it because it could identify her as being the person who had the injury.

2. Identify when and where the case occurred.
3. Describe the case, as specifically as you can
4. Classify the seriousness of the case by recording the most serious outcome associated with the case, with column J (other recordable cases) being the least serious and column G (Death) being the most serious.
5. Identify whether the case is injury or illness. If the case is an injury, check the injury category. If the case is an illness, check the appropriate illness category.

You must post the summary only - not the log - by February 1 of the year following the year covered by the form and keep it posted until April 30, of that year.

You must keep the Log and Summary for 5 years following the year to which they pertain.

No. You do not have to send the completed forms to OSHA unless specifically asked to do so.

If you have a question about how to fill out the log, then please visit us online at www.podojilconsulting.com or you can visit OSHA at www.OSHA.gov or call your local OSHA office.

For more information, click on the Author Biography link at the top of this page.