Is It Recordable?Is it OSHA recordable?
Free, plain-English answers to 232 real workplace injury and illness scenarios, each tied to the OSHA rule that decides it. Written by a certified OSHA recordkeeping trainer.
150 recordable · 79 not recordable · 2 it depends
4 steps to decide if a case is recordable
- Is it an employee? Confirm the person is an employee for recordkeeping purposes, not a contractor. If you supervise a contractor's day-to-day work, they count as your employee.
- Is it work-related? OSHA presumes work-relatedness. You need evidence to overcome it, and only a short list of exceptions apply (the commute is one). 1904.5
- Is it severe enough? Medical treatment beyond first aid, restricted work, days away, loss of consciousness, a significant diagnosis (e.g. a fracture), hearing loss or death. First aid list
- Is it a new case? Make sure it isn't a continuation of an injury or illness already on the log. 1904.6
Browse by topic
- Vehicles & driving 35
- Food & drink 27
- Cuts & lacerations 22
- Fractures 19
- Days away & restricted work 18
- Animals 15
- Workplace violence 13
- Fatality 12
- First aid 12
- Covid-19 & vaccines 10
- Working from home 9
- Slips, trips & falls 9
- Travel 8
- Burns 8
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Latest scenarios
Spilled tea
Two employees collide into each other while walking at work. One employee gets hot tea spilled on their arm. The employee sees a doctor…
Not recordableAway For Training
An employee travels to a third-party training session for one week where the employer is not supervising the employee. During the…
RecordableReportable Twice?
An employee is seriously injured at work and is admitted to a hospital. The employer reports the in-patient hospitalization to OSHA…
Not recordableInsidious Splinter
On the weekend, at home, an employee received a splinter in his hand while building a wooden loft bed for his daughter. He removed the…
RecordableCopper Theft
A man and his son break into a substation in the middle of the night to steal copper. They cut an energized cable and an arc flash badly…
Not recordableOff-Shore Drilling
A Honduran mobile off-shore drilling unit is operating within the US coastal waters. If an employee is injured and receives medical…
Not recordableQuick references
OSHA's first aid list
The complete list of treatments that do not make a case recordable.
Reporting severe injuries
When and how to notify OSHA of a fatality, hospitalization, amputation or eye loss.
Posting requirements & forms
Forms 300, 300A and 301, plus the Feb 1 – Apr 30 posting rule.
Partially exempt industries
Check whether your NAICS code is exempt from routine recordkeeping.
About RedBeard
I'm Nathan Braymen, B.S. and M.S. in Occupational Safety, certified in OSHA recordkeeping and an authorized OSHA Outreach trainer. Some scenarios are real submissions, some I've seen first-hand, and some are made up to make a point. More about me