Recordable or Not? Common Examples
Deciding whether an injury goes on the OSHA 300 log comes down to three questions: Is it work-related? Is it a new case? Does it meet a recording criterion? Here are everyday examples to show how the rules work.
- Construction
- General Industry
- Supervisors
The recording criteria
A work-related injury or illness is recordable if it causes any of these:
- Death
- Days away from work (not counting the day of the injury)
- Restricted work or a transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid
- Loss of consciousness
- A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a doctor, such as a fracture, cancer or a punctured eardrum
Examples
| What happened | Recordable? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cut finger, cleaned and covered with a bandage | No | First aid only |
| Cut finger closed with stitches or surgical glue | Yes | Wound closure is medical treatment |
| Cut closed with butterfly bandages or Steri-Strips | No | On the first aid list |
| Twisted ankle; X-ray shows no fracture; ice and an elastic wrap | No | X-rays are diagnostic; ice and wraps are first aid |
| Same ankle, but the doctor prescribes physical therapy | Yes | Physical therapy is medical treatment |
| Sore back; doctor recommends prescription-strength pain medicine | Yes | Prescription medication, even if never filled |
| Dust in the eye, rinsed out with eyewash | No | Irrigation is first aid |
| Metal sliver removed from the eye with a tool at a clinic | Yes | Removal beyond irrigation or a cotton swab |
| Worker goes home for the rest of the shift, returns next day to full duty | No | The day of injury doesn’t count |
| Doctor says stay home tomorrow | Yes | Days away from work |
| Worker can’t climb ladders for a week (light duty) | Yes | Restricted work |
| Worker faints from heat; cooled down, given water | Yes | Loss of consciousness |
| Heat cramps; drinks fluids, rests in the shade, back to work | No | Drinking fluids is first aid |
| Needlestick from a needle contaminated with someone else’s blood while cleaning out a restroom | Yes | Contaminated sharps injuries are always recordable |
| Hairline fracture; no treatment beyond a sling | Yes | A fracture is a significant diagnosed injury |
| Tetanus shot after stepping on a nail; wound cleaned | No | Tetanus shots and cleaning are first aid |
Is it work-related?
Injuries that happen in the work environment are presumed work-related. Some exceptions are not recorded, such as:
- Normal commuting to and from work
- Eating or drinking food for personal use (but food poisoning from food the employer provided can be recordable)
- Personal grooming or personal tasks unrelated to the job
- Taking part in a voluntary wellness or fitness program
- The common cold or flu
- Symptoms at work caused only by something that happened off the job
Work on the road counts: injuries while traveling for work, driving a company truck between jobs or loading a truck are usually work-related.
Special cases
- Hearing loss: recordable when a hearing test shows a standard threshold shift and the worker’s overall hearing is 25 decibels or more above zero in the same ear.
- Medical removal: recordable when a worker is removed under an OSHA standard, such as for high blood lead.
- Tuberculosis: recordable when a worker is infected after a known exposure at work.
- Counting days: count calendar days, including weekends, up to a cap of 180 days.
Recording isn’t blame. A case on the log doesn’t mean anyone broke a rule, and it doesn’t decide workers’ comp. Report every injury to your supervisor. See Reporting Incidents.
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1904.5: Determination of work-relatedness
- 29 CFR 1904.7: General recording criteria
- 29 CFR 1904.8–1904.11: Needlesticks, medical removal, hearing loss and tuberculosis
- See also: First Aid vs. Medical Treatment · Injury Recordkeeping & Reporting
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