OSHA Recordkeeping: An Overview of the Rules

Injury and illness data collected and reported by employers must be uniform and accurate, assuring statistical data consistency and validity.

Many employers in the United States are obliged to document workplace injuries and illnesses under OSHA’s Recordkeeping Rule. While this document doesn’t need to be submitted to OSHA unless requested, organizations and businesses subject to the recordkeeping rule must produce these documents when requested make them available during inspections. Incident reports and logs of on-site recordable incidents must be maintained for a period of at least five years.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) directs employers who are subject to the rule to annually prepare and maintain a record of occupational injuries and illnesses. This must be reported each year by March 2. Generally, organizations that employ 10 or fewer people during the previous calendar year do not need to report, unless otherwise directed … Read more...