What is the OSHA 300 Log? Definition & Requirements
The OSHA 300 log (officially "OSHA Form 300") is the federally-mandated document for recording work-related injuries and illnesses under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Required by 29 CFR Part 1904, this log tracks each recordable workplace incident throughout the calendar year, capturing critical information including employee name, job title, injury date, location, description, and classification type.
For safety managers in oil and gas, construction, and other high-hazard industries, maintaining accurate OSHA 300 logs is essential for compliance during OSHA inspections, calculating your Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), and meeting operator and client requirements. The OSHA 300 log form (sometimes misspelled as "OHSA 300 log") serves as your primary documentation when enforcement officers review your safety program.
Employers that had more than 10 employees at any time during the previous calendar year generally keep these records unless an establishment qualifies for a partial industry exemption. Most oil and gas extraction and support operations are not partially exempt, but the establishment's actual NAICS code controls the test. A well site or rig is not automatically a separate establishment. Under 29 CFR 1904.30, one log may cover short-term establishments that will exist for less than a year.
7 days
Calendar days to enter a recordable case on Forms 300 and 301
5 years
Retention from end of calendar year (29 CFR 1904.33)
180 days
Combined days away / restriction cap OSHA permits
Keeping a log and submitting data electronically have different coverage rules. Check each establishment's size, recordkeeping status and NAICS code.
Use OSHA's ITA coverage applicationFree OSHA 300 Log Excel Preparation Worksheet
A free Excel preparation worksheet, not an official form or an ITA upload file. Review the entries and transfer them to the official forms before certification or posting.
- Totals for up to 50 cases, including all six injury/illness types
- Dropdowns for case outcomes and injury/illness types
- TRIR and DART formulas after entering actual annual hours worked
Get the Excel preparation worksheet. Review entries and use the official forms for recordkeeping and posting.
Need the official blank forms instead? Download from OSHA.gov (PDF)
The Big 3 OSHA Recordkeeping Forms
Covered employers use these forms together. Enter each recordable case on Forms 300 and 301 within seven calendar days after learning that it meets the recording criteria.
| Form | Purpose | When Required | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSHA 300 | Yearly injury log | Every recordable incident | 5 years |
| OSHA 301 | Incident detail report | Each 300 entry | 5 years |
| OSHA 300A | Annual summary | Feb 1 - Apr 30 posting | 5 years |
Your running log of all recordable injuries and illnesses. One line per case, updated throughout the year.
A work-related new case requiring stitches is recordable. A bandage alone does not trigger recording, but another criterion, such as days away, still can.
Detailed incident report for each 300 entry. Captures what happened, how, and treatment details.
Instead of just "Employee fell," you need "Employee slipped on icy rig matting while carrying a pipe wrench."
Year-end summary posted Feb 1 - Apr 30. Certified by company executive. Submit its data electronically only if your establishment is covered.
You must post this in a visible place (like the doghouse or break trailer) from February 1 to April 30.
OSHA 300 Log Examples: PDF, Excel, or Software?
The OSHA 300 log form is available in several formats, each suited to different organizational needs. OSHA provides official fillable PDF forms and instructions. This preparation worksheet offers formula-driven totals and easier data management for small operations. For contractors with multiple establishments or enough cases to make version control difficult, dedicated software can generate forms, support classification review, and prepare ITA export data without maintaining the same case in several spreadsheets.
How to Use This Fillable OSHA 300 Form
This Excel download is a preparation worksheet, not an official OSHA form or an ITA upload file. It has a 50-case working log and calculated summary totals. Use it in three steps:
- Enter each recordable incident in rows 6–55. Choose exactly one outcome in G–J and one injury/illness type in M. Type body-part and event details in the description. Dropdowns and red warnings do not determine recordability or check every required field.
- Review the calculated totals. The summary counts cases, days and all six injury/illness types. Enter actual annual hours for TRIR and DART. Rates stay blank without positive hours. Formulas cover only the 50 provided case rows.
- Complete the official forms. Transfer reviewed entries and totals to Forms 300 and 300A. Complete Form 301 or an equivalent report for each case. A company executive certifies Form 300A, which is the summary you post. Do not post the named 300 Log or this worksheet. Covered establishments separately enter data in the ITA or prepare a file using OSHA’s current CSV specifications.
Need the official printable OSHA 300A form instead? Download the blank OSHA recordkeeping forms package directly from OSHA.gov. Save the PDF to your computer before filling it in, as OSHA recommends.
Recordable vs. First Aid: Know the Difference
First establish work-relatedness and a new case. Then apply OSHA’s general and specific recording criteria. First aid alone does not make a case recordable, but days away, restricted work or another criterion can still require recording.
Recordable (Log It) | First aid or diagnostic care alone |
|---|---|
| Prescription medications | OTC medications (at non-prescription strength) |
| Stitches or sutures | Band-aids, butterfly bandages |
| Days away from work | Observation/monitoring only |
| Routine-work restrictions after the injury day | Diagnostic tests (X-rays, MRIs) |
| Loss of consciousness | Tetanus shots (preventive) |
| Work-related fractured or cracked bone diagnosed by a healthcare professional | Hot or cold therapy alone |
When to Record vs. When NOT to Record
Understanding what constitutes a recordable incident is critical for compliance. Use this quick reference to determine if an injury or illness should go on your OSHA 300 log.
✓ RECORD on Form 300
- •Death: Any work-related fatality
- •Days away from work: One or more calendar days after the injury day
- •Restricted duty: Routine tasks or full shift restricted after the injury day
- •Prescription medications: Prescription treatment, including the first dose; diagnostic-only medication excluded
- •Sutures or staples: Wound closure (not Steri-Strips)
- •Loss of consciousness: Even momentarily
- •Fractures: Any broken bone
- •Physical therapy: PT treatment required
- •Significant diagnosis: Examples include work-related cancer or a fractured/cracked bone diagnosed by a healthcare professional
✗ Not recordable on this basis alone
- •Band-aids, bandages: Simple wound dressings
- •Butterfly bandages, Steri-Strips: Non-suture closures
- •OTC medications: Aspirin, ibuprofen at non-Rx strength
- •Tetanus shots: Preventive immunizations
- •Eye flushing: Irrigation without prescription
- •Hot/cold packs: Temperature therapy
- •Splinter removal: Surface removal with tweezers
- •Observation only: Doctor visit with no treatment
- •Drinking fluids: Hydration for heat stress
Key Decision Point:
Who provides care does not determine whether it is first aid. Use the definitions in 29 CFR 1904.7, not the contents of a first aid kit. Observation and diagnostic tests alone are excluded from medical treatment. Evaluate other recording criteria, and consult the specific rules for cases such as occupational hearing loss or needlesticks.
TRIR = (Recordable Incidents × 200,000) ÷ Total Hours Worked
The 200,000 factor represents 100 full-time employees working 40 hours/week for 50 weeks. Use total recordable cases and employee hours worked for the same year. Count each case once, using its most serious outcome.
Track Incidents Automatically
Structure incident records, flag missing information, and prepare OSHA forms for employer review without maintaining duplicate spreadsheets.
Privacy Cases: Protecting Sensitive Health Information
Some health conditions require special handling to protect employee privacy. For the categories in 29 CFR 1904.29(b)(7), you must omit the employee name and enter "privacy case" in Column B:
| Qualifies as Privacy Case | Does NOT Qualify |
|---|---|
| An intimate body part or the reproductive system | An ordinary back injury without a privacy-case criterion |
| Sexual assault or mental illness | An ordinary fracture without a privacy-case criterion |
| HIV infection, hepatitis or tuberculosis; contaminated needlestick or sharps injuries | A routine cut without a privacy-case criterion |
| Another illness where the employee independently and voluntarily requests anonymity | An ordinary injury alone, merely because anonymity is requested |
When using privacy case designations, you must maintain a separate confidential list linking case numbers to employee names. This information must be available to enforcement officers upon request. Limit identifying details in case descriptions too. Post only the certified 300A summary, not the named 300 Log.
Common OSHA 300 Log Mistakes That Trigger Audits
Avoid these errors that OSHA inspectors look for during audits.
Scenario
A roustabout twists an ankle. You put him on 'light duty' in the office but don't record it on the 300 Log because he didn't miss a day of work.
Correction
For a work-related new case, record restrictions that affect routine job functions or a full shift after the injury day. Finding another task for the worker does not remove the recording requirement.
Scenario
An injury happens on Tuesday. The employee goes home early. You count Tuesday as a 'Day Away.'
Correction
Do NOT count the day the injury occurred. The count starts the next day. If they are cleared to return the following Monday, you count Wed-Sun = 5 days away (not 6).
Scenario
A temp from an agency gets hurt on your rig. You assume the agency records it.
Correction
OSHA says if you provide day-to-day supervision (you tell them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it safely), YOU are responsible for recording the injury on your log, not the temp agency (29 CFR 1904.31).
Form 300 Examples by Recordable Category
The following examples show how to complete Form 300 for each major recordable category. All scenarios use oil and gas operations to demonstrate realistic injury and illness documentation.
Example: Days Away from Work (Back Injury)
Scenario:
A floorhand strains his lower back while lifting drill pipe during rig-up operations at Well #42. The employee requires three days away from work before returning to full duty.
| Column | Entry |
|---|---|
| A: Case Number | 1 |
| B: Employee Name | Marcus Johnson |
| C: Job Title | Floorhand |
| D: Date of Injury | 03/15/2026 |
| E: Where Event Occurred | Rig floor, Well #42 |
| F: Description | Strained lower back while lifting drill pipe during rig-up operations |
| G-J: Classification | Check "Days away from work" (Column H) |
| K: Days Away | 3 |
| L: Days Restricted | 0 |
| M: Injury Type | Check "Injury" (Column M1) |
Recording Notes:
Count calendar days (not work days) for "days away." The day of injury does not count. OSHA permits a combined cap of 180 days away plus restricted/transfer days. This is an illustrative example, not a customer record.
Example: Restricted Duty / Job Transfer
Scenario:
A derrickman suffers a hand laceration requiring five sutures while handling pipe. The employee returns on restricted duty (no lifting over 10 lbs) for seven days before returning to full duty.
| Column | Entry |
|---|---|
| A: Case Number | 2 |
| B: Employee Name | David Chen |
| C: Job Title | Derrickman |
| D: Date of Injury | 04/22/2026 |
| E: Where Event Occurred | Derrick, Rig 17 |
| F: Description | Hand laceration from pipe handling; required 5 sutures |
| G-J: Classification | Check "Job transfer or restriction" (Column I) |
| K: Days Away | 0 |
| L: Days Restricted | 7 |
| M: Injury Type | Check "Injury" (Column M1) |
Recording Notes:
Sutures always constitute medical treatment (not first aid), making this case recordable. If the employee can perform all routine functions and work a full shift after the injury day, it is not restricted duty on that basis.
Example: Medical Treatment Beyond First Aid
Scenario:
A roustabout gets chemical splash in their eye while servicing equipment. After flushing, a physician prescribes antibiotic eye drops. The employee returns to work the same day with no restrictions.
| Column | Entry |
|---|---|
| A: Case Number | 3 |
| B: Employee Name | Robert Williams |
| C: Job Title | Roustabout |
| D: Date of Injury | 05/08/2026 |
| E: Where Event Occurred | Tank battery, Lease #15 |
| F: Description | Chemical splash in right eye while servicing equipment; prescribed antibiotic drops |
| G-J: Classification | Check "Other recordable cases" (Column J) |
| K: Days Away | 0 |
| L: Days Restricted | 0 |
| M: Injury Type | Check "Injury" (Column M1) |
Recording Notes:
Prescription medication used for treatment, rather than solely for diagnosis, constitutes medical treatment beyond first aid, making this recordable even though no time was lost. Flushing or non-prescription drops at non-prescription strength alone would not trigger recording; check for any other recording criteria before excluding the case.
Electronic submission depends on size and NAICS
Oil and gas work does not automatically put every establishment into one ITA reporting group. Check each establishment's peak employment, recordkeeping status, and six-digit NAICS code against OSHA's current lists.
Deadline: March 2, 2027 for calendar year 2026 data
Portal: Submit via OSHA's Injury Tracking Application (ITA)
Format: .csv upload or manual entry
250 or more: Recordkeeping establishments generally submit Form 300A.
20 to 249: Submit 300A only when the NAICS appears in Appendix A to Subpart E.
100 or more: Submit Forms 300 and 301 case data with 300A only when the NAICS appears in Appendix B to Subpart E.
OSHA Resources & Official Guidance
Access official guidance and ensure your team understands recordkeeping requirements.
Official OSHA.gov Resources
- •Form 300 instructions and guidance documents
- •Recordkeeping topics and frequently asked questions
- •Industry-specific injury data requirements
- •Exemption search by NAICS code
Training Topics for Compliance
- •Recordkeeping procedures and forms completion
- •Injury classification criteria and decision-making
- •Privacy case handling and confidential data
- •Annual posting requirements and deadlines
When Spreadsheets Are Not Enough
Excel templates work for small operations with few incidents. However, several situations indicate it is time to consider dedicated safety software:
- Covered for electronic submission. The establishment's size and NAICS put it in an ITA reporting group. Software can prepare the required data.
- Multiple locations: Managing separate spreadsheets per establishment creates compliance gaps.
- Enforcement history: If you have received citations, documented processes demonstrate good faith.
- Audit trail needs: Spreadsheets do not track who changed what and when. Software provides complete data history.
Still managing logs manually?
BasinCheck structures incident records, calculates incident rates, and prepares OSHA-related forms and export data for employer review.
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