OSHA Form 300A Posting Deadline
Every year, employers across the country turn a workplace bulletin board into a compliance checkpoint. If your business is subject to OSHA’s recordkeeping rules, February 1 marks the day your OSHA Form 300A needs to go up, and it has to stay there through April 30.
Here’s what the requirement actually involves, who it applies to, and how to make sure your business checks every box this cycle.
What Is OSHA Form 300A?
OSHA Form 300A is the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. It’s a single-page recap of everything logged on your OSHA 300 form throughout the previous calendar year, including total recordable cases, days away from work, job transfers or restrictions, and the types of injuries or illnesses reported.
Even if your business had zero recordable incidents last year, you’re still required to complete and post the form. A company executive must review and certify the data before it goes up.
Key OSHA 300A Dates to Know
- February 1: Completed, certified Form 300A must be posted at each covered establishment.
- April 30: The posting period ends. Until then, the form has to stay visible, unaltered, and undamaged.
- March 2: Deadline for electronically submitting injury and illness data through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA), for employers who meet the electronic reporting thresholds below.
Where the Form Needs to Be Posted
Form 300A must go up in a conspicuous location at each establishment, wherever your business customarily posts notices to employees (think break rooms, time clock areas, or shared bulletin boards). It needs to stay visible, untouched, and undamaged for the entire three-month window.
Who’s Required to Post Form 300A?
OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements apply broadly, but there are exceptions:
- Businesses with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the last calendar year are exempt from routine recordkeeping.
- Employers in certain low-hazard industries (retail, finance, insurance, and select service sectors) are partially exempt, regardless of size.
If neither exception applies to your business, plan on posting.
Who Also Has to Submit Data Electronically?
Posting the form is one requirement. Submitting the underlying data through OSHA’s ITA by March 2 is a separate one, and it applies to a narrower group:
- Establishments with 250 or more employees that aren’t in an exempt industry.
- Establishments with 20 to 249 employees in industries OSHA has designated as high-hazard (Appendix A industries, including manufacturing and several others).
- Establishments with 100 or more employees in designated high-hazard industries must also submit their more detailed Form 300 and 301 data, not just the 300A summary.
Employers in states with their own OSHA-approved State Plan (California, Minnesota, and others) should confirm their state’s rules line up with the federal deadlines. Most do, but a few states have added their own requirements.
Severe Injury Reporting Still Applies Year-Round
Separate from the annual posting and submission cycle, OSHA’s severe injury reporting rule never takes a break. Employers must report:
- Any worker fatality within 8 hours.
- Any amputation, loss of an eye, or in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours.
Employer Action Checklist
- Close out last year’s OSHA 300 Log. Review entries for accuracy and completeness.
- Prepare the Form 300A summary and have it certified by a company executive.
- Post the form by February 1 in a visible, accessible spot at every covered establishment.
- Determine if you meet the electronic reporting thresholds, and if so, submit through the ITA by March 2.
- Leave the posting up through April 30, undisturbed and legible.
- Confirm state-specific requirements if you operate under a State Plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to post Form 300A if we had no recordable injuries last year? Yes. A summary showing zero cases still needs to be completed, certified, and posted.
What happens if we miss the February 1 posting date? Late or missing postings can trigger OSHA citations during an inspection. If you’re behind, get the form up as soon as possible and document the steps you’re taking to catch up.
Is the electronic ITA submission the same as the physical posting? No. Posting Form 300A satisfies the display requirement for employees. Submitting data through the ITA is a separate electronic reporting obligation that only applies to employers meeting specific size and industry thresholds.
Does this apply to small businesses? Generally, no. Employers with 10 or fewer employees throughout the prior year are exempt from routine OSHA recordkeeping, including the 300A posting.
Staying Ahead of OSHA Compliance
Recordkeeping deadlines have a way of sneaking up, especially when they’re wrapped into a dozen other January and February HR tasks. AdvanStaff HR helps Las Vegas and Nevada businesses keep workplace safety recordkeeping, workers’ comp, and compliance requirements on track, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Ready to take OSHA compliance off your plate? Talk to an HR expert today.
Highlights
- Employers must post their OSHA 300A each year by Feb. 1.
- The form must remain on display until April 30.
- Employers subject to OSHA’s electronic reporting requirement will need to submit information from their OSHA 300A form by March 2.
Annual summaries must be posted in each establishment in a conspicuous place or places where notices are customarily posted.
