OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (2026)
Without the OSHA Form 300A, you face federal penalties up to $15,000 per violation, workplace inspections, and loss of insurance coverage—and your employees have no documented record of workplace injuries. This federal summary form, issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and also called the Annual Injury and Illness Summary, requires you to total and certify work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities from your OSHA 300 Log each year. Key facts:
- 198 fields — ApronPrep auto-fills 164
- $0 government filing fee
- Deadline: February 1st (posted for 300 workdays or until work resumes)
Analyzed from OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
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Why You Need a OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
OSHA Form 300A — the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses — is a federally mandated posting requirement under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), 29 CFR § 1904.32, enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Any employer covered by OSHA's recordkeeping rule with 11 or more employees (and not classified in a partially exempt low-hazard industry) must complete Form 300A each year by summarizing the prior calendar year's injury and illness data from their OSHA Form 300 log. The completed summary must be certified by a company executive and posted in a visible workplace location from February 1 through April 30 every year — no exceptions. Employers in certain high-hazard industries or above specific size thresholds are also required to submit Form 300A data electronically to OSHA's Injury Tracking Application (ITA) by March 2 of each year, per 29 CFR § 1904.41. You can verify your industry's coverage status and current submission deadlines on the official OSHA website at osha.gov.
Failing to comply with the Form 300A posting and submission requirements exposes your restaurant or food service operation to significant regulatory and financial consequences. OSHA compliance officers conduct inspections and can issue citations on the spot for missing, incomplete, or uncertified summaries. The consequences include:
- Serious violations: Up to $16,131 per violation — applicable when OSHA determines you knew or should have known about the requirement
- Willful or repeated violations: Up to $161,323 per violation — triggered when OSHA finds intentional disregard of recordkeeping obligations
- Failure to abate: Up to $16,131 per day beyond the deadline given to correct a cited violation
- Operational and insurance risk: A citation history becomes part of your OSHA inspection record, which insurers and commercial landlords may review — potentially affecting your general liability premiums or lease renewal terms
- Electronic submission penalties: Employers required to submit data to the ITA who fail to do so by the March 2 deadline face the same citation structure as posting violations
Not legal advice — consult a qualified employment law attorney or contact OSHA directly at 1-800-321-OSHA to confirm your specific recordkeeping obligations.
Legal code: Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)
Recent update: As of 2024, OSHA's final rule (effective January 1, 2024) expanded electronic submission requirements — establishments with <strong>100 or more employees</strong> in designated high-hazard industries must now submit Form 300 log data and Form 301 incident reports in addition to Form 300A, a significant expansion from the prior 250-employee threshold; verify your establishment's current submission category at osha.gov/ita.
Who Needs a OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses?
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Full-service restaurants with 11 or more employees are required to maintain OSHA Form 300A under 29 CFR § 1904.7, as the restaurant industry (NAICS 722511) is not a partially exempt low-hazard industry, and the annual summary must be posted from February 1 through April 30. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Bars and nightclubs (NAICS 722410) with 11 or more employees are subject to full OSHA recordkeeping requirements under 29 CFR § 1904.1, as the food and drinking establishment sector is classified as a higher-hazard industry excluded from the partial exemption list. |
| Food Truck | Not Required | Food trucks with 10 or fewer employees are partially exempt from OSHA recordkeeping under 29 CFR § 1904.1(a)(1), which exempts employers with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the prior calendar year from routine injury and illness recordkeeping — though they must still report any fatality or severe injury to OSHA under § 1904.39. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Not Required | Coffee shops and cafés (NAICS 722515) with 10 or fewer employees qualify for the small-employer partial exemption under 29 CFR § 1904.1(a)(1); those with 11 or more employees are required to complete Form 300A, as food service establishments are not on OSHA's partially exempt industry list regardless of size. |
See which restaurant types need this requirement — and which don't.
See Full Requirements →Field-by-Field Guide (198 Fields)
164 of 198 auto-filledTotal number of recordable injuries and illnesses
textEnter the total count of all recordable work-related injuries and illnesses logged on your OSHA Form 300 for the calendar year — this is the sum of all cases in columns G through M of the Form 300 log.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering only injuries (column G) and omitting illness subtypes (columns H–M), which understates the total and creates a discrepancy with the supporting Form 300 log that OSHA auditors will flag immediately.
Total hours worked by all employees (for total rate calculation)
textEnter the actual total number of hours worked by all employees at this establishment during the calendar year, including hours worked by salaried, hourly, part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers — do not include vacation, sick leave, or other non-worked hours.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using payroll hours (which include paid leave) instead of actual hours worked, which inflates the denominator and artificially lowers the calculated incidence rate — a discrepancy that OSHA compliance officers can identify when cross-referencing payroll records.
Total recordable case incidence rate
textEnter the calculated Total Recordable Case (TRC) incidence rate using the OSHA formula: (Total recordable injuries and illnesses × 200,000) ÷ Total hours worked — carry the result to one decimal place.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using 100,000 as the multiplier instead of OSHA's standard 200,000 (which represents 100 full-time employees working 2,000 hours per year), producing a rate that is exactly half the correct value and will fail any automated compliance check.
Number of DART cases (days away, restricted, or transferred)
textEnter the total count of cases from your Form 300 log where a checkmark appears in column H (days away from work) or column I (job transfer or restriction) — these are your DART cases, and the number must match the sum of checked entries in those two columns exactly.
COMMON MISTAKE: Including column J (other recordable cases) in the DART count, which overstates DART cases and produces an incidence rate inconsistent with the underlying Form 300 data.
Total hours worked by all employees (for DART rate calculation)
textEnter the same total actual hours worked figure used in the Total Recordable Case rate calculation — both rate sections of the 300A use the same hours-worked denominator, so this value must be identical to the hours entered in the TRC rate row.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a different hours-worked value in this row than in the TRC rate row, creating an internal inconsistency on the form that signals a data entry error and can trigger an OSHA inquiry.
DART incidence rate
textEnter the calculated DART incidence rate using the OSHA formula: (Number of DART cases × 200,000) ÷ Total hours worked — round to one decimal place, consistent with how the TRC rate is reported.
COMMON MISTAKE: Rounding to a whole number instead of one decimal place, or forgetting to recalculate after correcting the DART case count, leaving a rate that does not match the cases and hours entered in the same section of the form.
Log Year
textEnter the four-digit calendar year (e.g., 2024) that this 300A Summary covers — this must match the year header on the accompanying Form 300 log and the posting period (February 1 through April 30 of the following year).
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the current year instead of the prior calendar year being summarized (e.g., entering 2025 on a form posted in February 2025, when the correct log year is 2024).
Establishment Name
textEnter the legal name of the establishment (physical location) covered by this log — use the name as it appears on your business registration or OSHA 300 log header, not a parent company or DBA name unless that is the registered establishment name.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a parent company or corporate brand name instead of the specific establishment name, which prevents OSHA from correctly matching the 300A to the correct establishment in enforcement or data collection contexts.
City
textEnter the city where the establishment (workplace location) is physically located — use the city name as recognized by the U.S. Postal Service for that address, not a neighboring city or unincorporated community name.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the city of the corporate headquarters or mailing address rather than the physical city of the specific establishment, which causes a mismatch with OSHA's establishment location records.
State
textEnter the two-letter U.S. Postal Service state abbreviation (e.g., CA, TX, NY) for the state where the establishment is physically located — this determines whether federal OSHA or a state-plan OSHA program has jurisdiction over your recordkeeping.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the full state name instead of the two-letter abbreviation, or entering the state of the corporate headquarters rather than the state of the physical establishment, which can affect jurisdiction routing in an audit.
ApronPrep auto-fills 164 of 198 fields from a single compliance interview — no re-typing, no guessing what the government expects.
Skip the Paperwork on Your OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
ApronPrep auto-fills 164 of 198 fields from one compliance interview.
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Top 5 OSHA Form 300A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Mistakes
1. Leaving the Form Blank When No Injuries Occurred
Based on ApronPrep's analysis of OSHA Form 300A applications, the most frequent error is failing to post the form when a business had zero recordable incidents for the year. OSHA requires covered establishments to complete and post Form 300A even if all injury and illness fields are zero — a blank or missing form is treated the same as non-compliance. To avoid this, enter '0' in every total column and sign the certification section; posting a completed zero-entry form from February 1 through April 30 is mandatory regardless of incident history.
2. Missing or Unsigned Establishment Executive Certification
Form 300A requires a company executive — specifically an owner, officer, director, or highest-ranking company official at the site — to certify the summary with a signature, title, and date. Many applicants have a safety manager or HR coordinator sign instead, which OSHA considers an invalid certification and can trigger a citation under 29 CFR § 1904.32(b)(3). Designate and document your certifying official before the February 1 posting deadline, and confirm their title qualifies under OSHA's definition of 'company executive.'
3. Incorrect Annual Average Number of Employees
The 'Annual Average Number of Employees' field on Form 300A requires a calculated figure — the sum of each pay period's employee count divided by the number of pay periods — not a snapshot headcount from a single date like December 31. Entering the wrong number directly distorts your Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate and Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), which OSHA inspectors use as benchmarks. Pull this figure from your payroll records and document the calculation method in case of an OSHA audit.
Timeline: Varies
Gather Work-Related Injury and Illness Records from the Prior Year
Collect all OSHA Form 300 logs and supporting documentation (medical reports, incident reports, worker statements) covering January 1 through December 31 of the previous calendar year. You must have documented every work-related injury, illness, and fatality that occurred during this 12-month period — missing even one recordable case can result in OSHA citations. Review your Form 300 entries for accuracy: check that case numbers are sequential, dates are correct, and injury descriptions match medical records.
Complete OSHA Form 300A Using Form 300 Summary Data
Transfer totals from your Form 300 log to the OSHA Form 300A Summary — this 1-page form requires you to enter aggregate numbers only: total cases with job transfer or restricted work, total cases without job transfer or restricted work, total days away from work, total job transfer or restricted work days, and number of employees. The form has 16 data entry fields plus employer identification fields (company name, address, EIN). Common error: entering individual case details instead of totals — Form 300A is summary-only and causes rejection if line-item data is included.
Have Form 300A Signed and Certified by Authorized Company Representative
An owner, officer, manager, or authorized company representative (not a consultant or external safety contractor unless formally designated as management) must sign and date the Form 300A certification section. The signatory confirms they have examined the Form 300 records and the data is accurate and complete — this certification is legally binding under 29 CFR § 1904.32(b)(4). Obtain a signature on the original copy or e-signature if your company uses digital record-keeping systems that comply with OSHA recordkeeping rules.
Other Requirements You'll Need
ADA Compliance Self-Certification
federal
Alarm System Permit/Registration
local
Application for Employer Identification Number
federal
Articles of Organization (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (Corporation)
state
See all co-required forms and how they connect to your compliance dossier.
See All RequirementsThe OSHA Form 300A itself is not a permit you "get" — it's a record you must complete and post annually based on data you've already collected. There is no government processing timeline because you prepare and retain the form in-house; however, you must compile injury and illness data throughout the year from your OSHA Form 300 logs, then summarize it on the Form 300A by January 31st each year. Posting and record-keeping requirements vary by employer size, so contact OSHA directly to confirm your specific obligations.
There are no government filing fees for the OSHA Form 300A — it is a required internal compliance record that you create, retain, and post at no cost. However, you may incur costs for injury reporting, medical evaluations, or third-party safety consulting if those are part of your workplace safety program. Not legal advice — contact OSHA or your state occupational safety agency to confirm any state-level requirements that may apply to your restaurant.
No — each OSHA Form 300A is location-specific and must be maintained at the establishment where the injuries and illnesses occurred. If you open a new restaurant location, that location must maintain its own separate Form 300 log and Form 300A summary based on injuries at that specific site. When you close or relocate a location, you must retain the records for the required period (typically 5 years in many states) and cannot transfer them to represent a different establishment. For specific guidance on multi-location record-keeping, consult with OSHA or your state's occupational safety department.
The OSHA Form 300A must be completed and posted annually — specifically, you must summarize your Form 300 log data on a new Form 300A each year by January 31st and post it in a common area (breakroom, office) where employees can see it. The posting must remain visible for at least 2 months, through April 30th, per OSHA recordkeeping rules. This is not a renewal in the traditional sense; rather, it's an annual cycle of data compilation and posting that recurs every calendar year.
During an OSHA workplace inspection, compliance officers will request to review your Form 300 log and Form 300A summary to verify that injuries and illnesses have been accurately recorded and classified. If discrepancies are found — such as missing entries, misclassification of injuries, or failure to post the Form 300A — OSHA can issue citations and penalties. Inspectors may also interview employees about workplace injuries to cross-check your documentation. To prepare, ensure your EFTPS Enrollment and other business compliance records are current, and maintain organized, legible injury logs with supporting medical documentation.
About This Data
This guide is generated from ApronPrep's compliance dossier system, which uses 53 parallel AI authority experts to discover requirements, then downloads actual forms and generates field-level intelligence for each one.
Our data is verified against official government sources and updated when regulatory changes are detected. If you find an error, please report it — accuracy is our core commitment.
Sources
- Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)
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