Compliance Corner: OSHA Form 300A and isolved Safety Solution

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires organizations to keep records of all work-related injuries and illnesses. This recordkeeping requirement, known as OSHA Form 300A, captures injury and illness totals from the company’s OSHA 300 log for the prior calendar year. All companies that meet the criteria must complete and post the form, even if there are no recordable workplace injuries. This form was designed and intended to promote transparency by giving employees a clear view of the workplace’s safety performance in an easy‑to‑read format and summary. This isn’t just a clerical task posted annually; as part of the OSH Act of 1970, employees have the legal right to know about potential hazards in their environment. Additionally, it requires a signature from a company executive that ensures the leadership team cannot claim they are unaware of the safety performance.

Who Is Required to Complete and Post the Form?

Most employers with 11 or more employees at any time during the previous calendar year must complete and post OSHA Form 300A. Some companies may fall under exemptions such as:

• Those with 10 or fewer employees in the previous year

• Those operating in OSHA’s list of low‑hazard industries. These are classified by the company’s NAICS codes

It’s important to remember that even if exempt from maintaining routine OSHA logs, employers must still report serious incidents directly to OSHA.

Important Deadlines Every Human Resources (HR) Team Must Track

• Posting Period: February 1 – April 30
  Employers must post a physically displayed, executive‑certified Form 300A in a location where employees typically see notices, like breakrooms, bulletin boards or any other highly visible areas.

• Electronic Submission Deadline: March 2
  Some companies must also electronically submit their Form 300A data through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA). This applies to:

  • Organizations with 250 or more employees required to keep OSHA logs

  • Organizations with 20–249 employees in certain high‑hazard industries

These submission requirements are based on the employee count per physical establishment, not the total company size.

If your business is in a state with its own OSHA-approved plan, like California, Washington, Oregon or Minnesota, you should check with your specific state agency, as some states have more stringent reporting thresholds than federal OSHA.

The Most Common OSHA 300A Errors (and Why They Happen)

OSHA citations routinely occur not because an employer is unsafe, but because forms were filled out incorrectly, posted improperly or submitted inaccurately. The most frequent mistakes include:

• Failing to post the form even when no incidents occurred (zeros still count!)

• Posting only online, without a physical posting

• Forgetting the required executive signature or having the wrong person sign it

• Using the wrong year’s data or posting one form for multiple physical locations

• Miscalculating the total hours worked by employees. Employers are to include only actual hours worked, not vacation, sick leave or holidays

• Counting the total number of calendar days vs. workdays normally scheduled to work. Employers are to include weekends and holidays. For example, if an employee is injured on a Thursday and the doctor says they aren’t released to work until Monday, that counts as three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), even if the employer is closed on the weekends or the employee doesn’t typically work.

• Mixing up posting requirements and electronic submission rules, which are separate obligations with different deadlines.

Avoiding mistakes like these is important to keep your business OSHA‑compliant and avoiding potential fines.

What Happens If an Employer Doesn’t Comply?

Penalties can add up quickly. OSHA’s current maximum fines include:

• $16,550 per serious violation or posting violation

• $16,550 per day for failure to abate

• $165,514 for willful or repeated violations

Non‑submission or incorrect reporting can also increase the likelihood of a targeted OSHA inspection.

A Simple HR Checklist for OSHA 300A Compliance

To avoid errors and OSHA readiness, HR teams should:

• Review and spot check OSHA 300 log entries for accuracy

• Confirm all recordable incidents were logged correctly

• Calculate the average number of employees and total hours worked. This includes part‑time and temporary staff, if applicable.

• Obtain proper executive certification before posting

• Post Form 300A physically at each establishment between February 1st and April 30th in a conspicuous location where employees naturally gather.

• Use the OSHA ITA Coverage Application to determine whether electronic submission is required

• Retain all OSHA injury and illness records for five years

How isolved Supports OSHA Compliance

To help clients navigate evolving OSHA recordkeeping and reporting requirements, isolved has partnered with Zywave, a trusted provider of risk management, compliance content, and OSHA recordkeeping tools widely used across the HR and insurance ecosystem. Together, isolved and Zywave combine complementary strengths, allowing employers to move from reactive compliance to a more proactive approach to workplace safety and OSHA readiness. Through this partnership, clients can continue to rely on isolved as their HR and workforce system of record, while gaining access to Zywave’s OSHA Log tools that support the full OSHA recordkeeping lifecycle. Zywave’s OSHA Log tool helps employers:

• Track recordable incidents by establishment

• Generate OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301

• Validate required data such as employee counts and hours worked

• Export ITA‑ready CSV files for electronic submission when required

In addition, Zywave provides a robust library of attorney‑written compliance bulletins, OSHA guidance and safety resources. Together, isolved and Zywave help close the gap between policy, practice, and proof. Making OSHA compliance even easier to manage and easier to defend. Ready to ensure OSHA compliance? Get in touch to learn how combining isolved’s HR expertise with Zywave’s OSHA-focused tools and resources creates a connected, reliable path to compliance.