Do I have to keep the OSHA log?

Yes. Employers covered by 29 CFR part 1904 must maintain a log for each establishment for the current year plus five years following the year of the record (29 CFR §1904.33).

When must I report severe incidents to OSHA?

Fatalities must be reported within 8 hours; inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours, per 29 CFR §1904.39 and related reporting rules.

Can the log be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures that meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and applicable state UETA requirements are acceptable if the platform preserves an audit trail and allows reproducible records.

How do I correct an entry?

Do not obliterate or delete. Add an amended entry or note with date, reason, and reviewer initials, and preserve the prior version in the audit trail for inspection.

Are employee medical records part of the log?

No. Medical records must be kept separately and protected under HIPAA and OSHA confidentiality provisions; the log should avoid including sensitive medical details.

What if an employee requests the log?

Provide access within 7 calendar days of a written request. Redact personal medical information and follow privacy rules when sharing records.

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Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses

Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

What the Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses is

The Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA Form 300 or equivalent employer-maintained log) is a workplace record that tracks work-related injuries and illnesses, including date, nature of injury, affected body part, and days away or restricted work. Employers subject to 29 CFR part 1904 must maintain accurate records to document incidents, support injury prevention programs, and comply with posting and retention rules. The log is not a substitute for required individual medical records but serves as an aggregate operational and regulatory record for safety oversight and OSHA inspections.

Why maintaining the log matters for compliance and safety

A complete Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses satisfies OSHA recordkeeping requirements (29 CFR part 1904), supports workplace hazard identification, and provides defensible documentation during inspections or audits.

Who completes and relies on the log

Employers, safety managers, HR professionals, and compliance teams typically prepare and maintain the log as part of OSHA recordkeeping and internal safety programs.

Small and mid-size employers who meet OSHA recording thresholds and need a single central record for incidents and trends.
Large employers and safety teams that use the log for analytics, reporting, and OSHA inspection readiness.
Third-party auditors, workers' compensation administrators, and legal counsel who review logs for claims and compliance.

Workers may review summaries and access certain information; however, individualized medical records and privacy-protected exposure files are maintained separately per HIPAA and OSHA rules.

Step-by-step: completing and finalizing the log

Follow a consistent sequence to capture incident details, classify the case, obtain necessary approvals, and file or store the record securely.

01

Record: Capture incident facts promptly and accurately.
02

Classify: Apply OSHA case definitions to determine recordability.
03

Review: Have safety or HR review entries for completeness.
04

Store: Save final log with retention controls and audit trail.

Essential components of a compliant Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses

A professional log contains consistent incident data, clear classifications, reviewer signoffs, privacy protections, and retention metadata required for regulatory and operational use.

Incident index

Chronological list of events including date, employee name, and location for quick reference and trend analysis.

Detailed description

Concise description of injury or illness, affected body part, and how the event occurred to support corrective actions.

Outcomes

Fields for days away, restricted duty, transfer, or medical treatment to determine OSHA case status and reporting needs.

Classification codes

OSHA case type and injury/illness codes for consistent internal reporting and federal submissions.

Reviewer information

Name, title, and date of the person who reviewed or approved the log entry to document oversight.

Audit trail

Timestamps and user IDs for edits and e-signatures to support integrity and inspection readiness.

Required fields and metadata to capture

Employee ID: Unique identifier

Incident date: MM/DD/YYYY format

Worksite: Site or department

Injury description: Nature and body part

Outcome flags: Days away/restricted

Record status: Open/closed/adjusted

How to configure an online log workflow

Configure fields, reviewer roles, and retention settings before collecting entries to ensure consistent records and auditability.

Field	Configuration
Incident Date	Required \| MM/DD/YYYY
Reviewer Signoff	Role-based approval required
eSignature Type	Audit trail + timestamp
Retention Policy	Auto-archive after 5 years

Digital signing and submission: platform considerations

Use a platform that supports regulatory audit trails, conditional fields, and secure storage when e-signing or e-submitting OSHA logs.

Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace
Formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX supported
Security: TLS 1.2/1.3; AES-256 at rest

Ensure any chosen provider supports ESIGN/UETA compliance, audit trails, and access controls; for health-related records verify HIPAA BAA availability.

Where to file or send the log and related reports

The internal log is kept by the employer; certain incidents trigger external reporting to OSHA or state plan agencies and may require posting or electronic submission.

Internal recordkeeping: Maintain log in HR or safety system per company policy.
Posting obligation: Post Form 300A annually during required window.
OSHA reporting: Report fatalities and severe incidents as required by 29 CFR 1904.39 and 1904.39(a)(1).
State plan agencies: Submit to state OSHA where applicable; follow local procedures.

Key timing and posting requirements to observe

Several deadlines affect the log: employee notifications, annual postings, and immediate reporting for severe incidents. Adhere to federal and state timetables.

Annual posting:

Post Form 300A Feb 1–Apr 30 (29 CFR §1904.32)

Fatality reporting:

Report fatality within 8 hours to OSHA (29 CFR §1904.39)

Severe injury reporting:

Report in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours (29 CFR §1904.39)

Record retention:

Keep logs 5 years after the year of the record (29 CFR §1904.33)

Employee access:

Provide access within 7 calendar days of a written request

Milestones from incident to closed record

Track discrete milestones so each incident moves from report to classification, review, and secure archiving with documented signoffs.

01

Incident reported

Employee or supervisor documents event and time of occurrence.

02

Preliminary triage

Determine immediate medical needs and preserve scene information.

03

OSHA classification

Apply case definitions to mark recordability within appropriate timeframe.

04

Final review and close

Reviewer signs off and entry is archived with audit trail.

Consequences of incorrect or missing logs

OSHA citations: Possible fines

Increased liability: Higher claims exposure

Inspection risk: Greater scrutiny

Penalties for late reporting: Fines for missed reports

Workers' comp issues: Delayed benefits

Data integrity: Loss of audit trail

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing the log

Incomplete incident descriptions that omit key facts, hindering classification and corrective action planning.
Using inconsistent date formats or missing dates, which creates ambiguity for reporting year and retention calculation.
Failing to classify cases correctly (medical-only vs recordable lost time) leading to underreporting and potential OSHA citations.
Not preserving an audit trail or reviewer approvals, reducing defensibility during inspections or litigation.

eSignature solution pricing snapshot for managing and signing logs

Costs and capabilities vary by plan and vendor; signNow appears first as a representative option with per-user and usage-based plans for high-volume workflows.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies by plan
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Common questions about the Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses

Answers to frequent practical and compliance questions about filling, signing, and storing logs help prevent errors and enforcement risk.

Need help? Contact support

Do I have to keep the OSHA log?
Yes. Employers covered by 29 CFR part 1904 must maintain a log for each establishment for the current year plus five years following the year of the record (29 CFR §1904.33).
When must I report severe incidents to OSHA?
Fatalities must be reported within 8 hours; inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours, per 29 CFR §1904.39 and related reporting rules.
Can the log be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures that meet ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and applicable state UETA requirements are acceptable if the platform preserves an audit trail and allows reproducible records.
How do I correct an entry?
Do not obliterate or delete. Add an amended entry or note with date, reason, and reviewer initials, and preserve the prior version in the audit trail for inspection.
Are employee medical records part of the log?
No. Medical records must be kept separately and protected under HIPAA and OSHA confidentiality provisions; the log should avoid including sensitive medical details.
What if an employee requests the log?
Provide access within 7 calendar days of a written request. Redact personal medical information and follow privacy rules when sharing records.

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