OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses in San Jose, California (2026)
An incomplete or missing OSHA Form 300A Summary leaves your restaurant exposed to fines and can trigger a full-recordkeeping inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This federally-mandated annual summary of work-related injuries and illnesses must be posted in your San Jose establishment, and the Cal/OSHA Division enforces its completion. Key facts:
- 198 fields — ApronPrep auto-fills 164
- $0–$0 government filing fees (no cost to obtain or submit the form)
- Varies for completion (based on your establishment's injury history)
Analyzed from OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
83% from one compliance interview
Manual entry or document upload required
Why You Need a OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
In San Jose, California, your restaurant must post the OSHA Form 300A because it is a direct requirement of federal law. The legal mandate comes from the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), specifically 29 CFR 1904.32. This regulation, enforced by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), applies to all employers, including restaurants, who had 11 or more employees at any point during the previous calendar year. The form serves as a public annual summary of all work-related injuries and illnesses recorded on the OSHA Form 300 log.
Failing to post the Form 300A or maintaining inaccurate records carries significant, escalating penalties. Common consequences include:
- Substantial fines per violation, such as those for serious violations and willful violations, as established by federal OSHA penalty increases.
- Increased scrutiny from Cal/OSHA inspectors, potentially triggering a full-site compliance audit.
- Workers' compensation insurance complications, as insurers may use this data for risk assessment and premium calculations.
- Reputational damage and employee relations issues from failing to transparently report workplace safety data as required by law.
Legal code: Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)
Recent update: Penalty amounts for violations are adjusted annually by federal OSHA; the current maximums are cited in the official penalty structure.
Who Needs a OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses?
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required for establishments with 11 or more employees at any point in the previous calendar year, as per OSHA 29 CFR 1904.39(a) and California's identical state plan threshold. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required if employing 11 or more individuals, as the serving of alcohol does not exempt an employer from Cal/OSHA’s general recordkeeping requirements under 29 CFR 1904. |
| Food Truck | Not Required | Generally exempt if the food truck operator has 10 or fewer employees, or if it is a single proprietor/owner-operator with no other staff, as defined by the low-hazard industry exemption. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Not Required | Often exempt under the low-hazard retail exemption (SIC 58) and the 10-or-fewer employee threshold, but required if staffing exceeds 10 employees at any time. |
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 sum of all cases logged on your Form 300 Log for the year, including injuries (like cuts or sprains) and illnesses (like hearing loss or skin conditions) that meet OSHA's recordability criteria.
COMMON MISTAKE: Including first aid-only incidents or failing to include all recordable cases from separate departments/locations at this establishment.
Total hours worked by all employees (for total rate calculation)
textEnter the total hours worked by all employees (including salaried, hourly, part-time, and temporary workers) at this establishment for the entire calendar year.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using payroll hours instead of actual hours worked, omitting overtime hours, or incorrectly including hours from employees at other locations.
Total recordable case incidence rate
textThis calculated field equals (Total Cases * 200,000) / Total Hours Worked; ApronPrep will populate it automatically using your entered data.
COMMON MISTAKE: Manually entering a miscalculated rate or leaving blank when there were zero recordable cases (enter '0.0').
Number of DART cases (days away, restricted, or transferred)
textEnter the total number of cases from your Form 300 Log that resulted in days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfer.
COMMON MISTAKE: Counting cases where an employee returned to normal work the next day, or mis-sorting cases that belong in other columns of the log.
Total hours worked by all employees (for DART rate calculation)
textEnter the same total hours worked used for the Total Recordable Case Rate calculation; this number should match the one entered in the field above.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using a different hours-worked total here than the one used for the total rate calculation, causing a data inconsistency.
DART incidence rate
textThis calculated field equals (DART Cases * 200,000) / Total Hours Worked; ApronPrep will populate it automatically.
COMMON MISTAKE: Manually entering an incorrect calculation or failing to enter '0.0' when there were zero DART cases.
Log Year
textEnter the calendar year for which the Form 300 Log and this 300A Summary are being completed, using four digits (e.g., '2025').
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the date the form is being filled out instead of the reporting year, or using a two-digit year format.
Establishment Name
textEnter the official, full legal name of the restaurant or establishment where the injuries/illnesses occurred, exactly as used for tax and licensing purposes.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using a DBA (Doing Business As) name instead of the legal entity name, or abbreviating the name inconsistently with other official filings.
City
textEnter the city where the establishment is physically located, as it appears on your business license or lease.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a mailing address city (like a P.O. Box location) instead of the physical location of the restaurant.
State
textEnter the two-letter postal abbreviation for the state where the establishment is physically located (e.g., 'CA').
COMMON MISTAKE: Spelling out the full state name or using an incorrect abbreviation, which can delay electronic processing.
ApronPrep auto-fills 164 of 198 fields from a single compliance interview — no re-typing, no guessing what the government expects.
Top 5 OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Mistakes
1. Incorrectly Calculating Total Employee Hours
Entering estimated hours instead of the precise sum of all hours worked by all employees for the year. This data drives the injury/illness rates that Cal/OSHA reviews for inspection targeting. A miscalculation can falsely indicate a lower rate, potentially causing a surprise inspection or triggering a records audit. Avoid by summing the hours from your payroll records for all employees, including part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers.
2. Failing to Certify the Form
A company executive (owner, officer, or highest-ranking site manager) must sign and certify the form. Submitting an unsigned form is invalid and non-compliant. This often happens when HR fills out the form but forgets to get the required executive signature before the February 1 posting deadline. Always have the certifying official review the totals before signing.
3. Misclassifying Recordable Cases
Confusing first-aid-only incidents with recordable injuries or illnesses. For example, a minor cut requiring only a bandage is not recordable, but one requiring stitches is. Conversely, failing to record a work-related illness diagnosed by a physician. Misclassification distorts your safety performance data and is a common citation during inspections. Consult OSHA's Recordkeeping Rule (29 CFR 1904) for definitive guidance on what must be recorded.
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.
No credit card required
OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses by City in California
| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | ||
| San Diego | ||
| San Jose |
Timeline: Varies (Annual, Recurring Process)
Prepare the OSHA Form 300 Log Throughout the Year
Maintain the detailed OSHA Form 300 log daily, recording each work-related injury or illness as it occurs. For each incident, you must complete 11 specific fields including the employee's name, job title, date of injury, and a brief description. The most common mistake is not recording hearing loss, needlesticks, or newly diagnosed chronic illnesses, which can lead to an incomplete annual summary and potential penalties during an inspection.
Complete the OSHA Form 300A Summary (February)
From February 1 to April 30, review your Form 300 log and transfer the data to the 1-page Form 300A. You must calculate and enter totals for 7 specific columns, including the number of cases with days away from work, job transfer/restriction, and other recordable cases. A company executive must certify the summary's accuracy. This step is often rushed; incorrect math in the totals column is a frequent error that violates OSHA's recordkeeping standard 29 CFR 1904.32.
Post the Form 300A Summary (February - April)
Physically post the completed and certified Form 300A in a conspicuous place where all employees can see it, such as a break room or near time clocks. Posting must occur from February 1 through April 30 each year. You must also make the Form 300 log available to employees, current or former representatives, or OSHA inspectors upon request. Failure to post for the full 3-month period is a common violation cited by Cal/OSHA.
Other Requirements You'll Need
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in California.
ABC Local Control Application
local
ADA Compliance Self-Certification
federal
Alarm System Permit/Registration
local
Alcohol Server Training Certification (RBS)
state
See all co-required forms and how they connect to your compliance dossier.
See All RequirementsThere is no processing time to 'get' the OSHA Form 300A. This is an annual recordkeeping duty you perform in-house. You must prepare the summary annually and post it in your workplace from February 1st to April 30th. Contact California Employer Withholding Tax Registration or other relevant agencies for permits with defined timelines.
There are no government filing fees for OSHA Form 300A itself. It is a compliance document you create and maintain, not a permit you pay for. However, failing to post it properly can result in fines. Not legal advice — verify with California Employer Registration for Unemployment Insurance for other compliance costs.
No. OSHA Form 300A is not a transferable permit. It is a summary specific to the workplace and work-related incidents of the prior calendar year for a given establishment. If you move your restaurant, you must create and post a new summary for the new location based on its injury/illness data. Recordkeeping responsibilities are site-specific, similar to other local permits like a Building Permit.
This is not a renewable permit. It is an annual reporting requirement. You must review your OSHA Form 300 Log, prepare a fresh Form 300A Summary each year, and post the new summary from February 1st to April 30th for employee review. This yearly cycle is perpetual for as long as you operate a business with employees.
During an OSHA inspection, a compliance officer may ask to see your past five years of OSHA Forms 300 (Log) and 300A (Summary). They will verify your current year's Form 300A is posted prominently (Feb 1–Apr 30) and ensure your records are accurate, complete, and classified correctly. Failure to present records or having incomplete logs can lead to citations and fines per federal OSHA regulations.
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.
For California specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose), generating Rich FILs (Form Intelligence Layers) with 198 form fields analyzed for this requirement. Fee data is sourced from actual county department fee schedules, not estimates.
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)
This Form Is One of 60+ Requirements.
ApronPrep discovers every permit your city requires — including the ones generic checklists miss. Pick your city for the complete package.