Guides

OSHA recordkeeping, answered in plain language

The questions the "accidental safety person" at a small construction company actually types into a search bar, answered in the first sentence, with every rule linked to osha.gov. No signup, no jargon without a translation.

Every guide is checked against OSHA's current rules; each page shows its verification date

Deadlines and filing

When is the OSHA 300A due?

Post February 1 through April 30, e-file by March 2. Who signs, where it hangs, the late fix.

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Who has to e-file injury data?

The ITA rule: 20-employee threshold, designated industries, and how the March 2 submission works.

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The forms

300 vs 301 vs 300A

One log, one incident report per case, one signed annual summary. Which is which.

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How to fill out the 300 log

Every column from A to M, including the day-count rules that trip people up.

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Fillable OSHA forms

The official free PDFs on osha.gov, their quirks, and the online version that does the math.

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Excel, PDF, paper, or software?

Every way to keep the 300 log, each with its honest failure mode.

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What goes on the log

Recordable or first aid?

The six outcomes that make a case recordable and the complete 14-item first aid list.

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What's a privacy case?

Six categories where the name stays off the log, and the confidential list you keep instead.

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Coverage and housekeeping

Who's exempt from recordkeeping?

The 10-employee exemption, the low-hazard industry list, and the reporting duties nobody escapes.

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The 5-year retention rule

What you keep, for how long, what must stay updated, and what happens when the business sells.

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What OSHA fines are in 2026

The current maximums from osha.gov, what they mean, and what actually gets assessed.

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Safety rates

How to calculate TRIR

The formula, a worked example, 2024 BLS benchmarks, and what GCs consider good.

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TRIR & DART calculator

Skip the arithmetic: the free calculator, right on this site.

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These guides explain federal OSHA recordkeeping (29 CFR Part 1904) for private employers. State Plan states enforce their own substantially identical rules. SiteSafetyHQ is an independent product, not affiliated with OSHA; guides are workflow help, not legal advice. Rules live at osha.gov/recordkeeping.