Filing Your OSHA Form 300A in 2020? Here’s the Cheat Sheet
The OSHA Form 300A filing date is swiftly approaching. Here’s what to know about the form and how to keep your company compliant
With March fast approaching, you may be wondering what type of records and paperwork you need to pull together for 2020. One important document to keep in mind is the OSHA Form 300A. This time of year calls for workplace injury and illness record reporting.
What is the OSHA Form 300A?
The OSHA Form 300A is the second page of the OSHA Form 300. The first page (Form 300) contains a log for work-related injuries and illnesses designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). All employers with 10 or more employees, not classified as partially exempt are required by law to record:
“Work-related death and about every work-related injury or illness that involves loss of consciousness, restricted work activity, or job transfer, days away from work, or medical treatment beyond first aid.”
OSHA Form 300 requires the supervisor to document the injured employee’s name, job title, and case number. Next, the supervisor must describe the case by listing the date of injury or illness, location of occurrence, and the specific area of the body affected. The log also asks for the outcome, including days away from work, job transfer, or other recordable cases.
Beyond each individual case, employers must show a summary of all work-related injuries and illnesses. This is reported on Form 300A. In this section, the number of cases, days away from work, and injury or illness are added up for a grand total. The organization then lists their information and provides a signature for OSHA’s internal use.
The last page of the document is OSHA’s Form 301, which is a form employers may use to describe the workplace injury or illness. Each injury or illness that is recorded on OSHA Form 300 or its equivalent must also be recorded on a Form 301 or its equivalent (a form is considered equivalent if it contains all the information asked on Form 301).
2020 Updates to the Rule
One thing that’s important to note for reporting 2019 data, is that the gathering of CY 2019 data and beyond will include collecting establishments’ Employer Identification Numbers (EIN). You’ll want to have that ready as you go to fill out the Injury Tracking Application (ITA).
How long do you post the OSHA 300A?
Employers who meet the requirements for keeping record of work-related injuries and illnesses must post the OSHA Form 300A from February 1 to April 30 every year. The form must be visible to all staff in the workplace. Employees also have the right to request a copy of the records at any time.
Are OSHA 300 logs confidential?
“Employees, former employees, and employee representatives are authorized to review the OSHA 300 logs,” says Corporate Compliance Insights. The only exception to this rule is in cases of privacy concerns. If injury or illness involves a reproductive organ, sexual assault, mental illness, or other privacy-sensitive incident, employees names remain confidential.
In these specific cases, employers keep a separate confidential list of names for OSHA records. Note that these actions must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).
What injuries must be reported to OSHA?
As we mentioned previously, all medical treatment beyond first aid must be reported to OSHA. Employers must also document significant work-related injuries and illnesses diagnosed by a licensed healthcare professional.
What’s the 2020 deadline for OSHA Form 300A?
March 2, 2020, is the deadline for OSHA Form 300A. Submissions are to report injury and illness data for the previous year. Records are submitted electronically through the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) available online.
If you employ more than ten workers who are considered partially exempt, don’t forget about OSHA Form 300A. Do your due diligence throughout the year to keep an accurate record of all work-related injuries and illnesses that meet the criteria above. Doing so will make the reporting process fast and efficient for your HR and administrative teams.
Questions about work-related injuries, illnesses, or OSHA Form 300A? We’re here to help.
