OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses in Memphis, Tennessee (2026)
Federal inspectors can cite and fine your Memphis restaurant on the spot if you fail to publicly post a completed OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, a mandatory federal workplace safety log administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Key facts:
- 198 fields — ApronPrep auto-fills 164 from your existing business profile
- $0–$0 government filing fees — no payment to OSHA
- Varies — you must summarize your annual injury log and post it by February 1st
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 Memphis, Tennessee, as in all 50 states, the requirement to post the OSHA Form 300A is mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act). The Act authorizes the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to set and enforce workplace safety standards. Tennessee is one of 21 states operating an OSHA-approved State Plan, which requires adherence to all federal OSHA recordkeeping and reporting rules. This means Memphis businesses with 10 or more employees in most industries must complete this annual summary. The form, which documents the total number of work-related injuries and illnesses from the prior year, must be certified by a company executive and posted in a conspicuous location from February 1 to April 30 each year, providing transparency to your employees.
Failure to comply carries significant legal and financial risks. OSHA inspectors can issue citations and monetary penalties during routine inspections or following incidents. Based on the OSH Act's enforcement provisions, consequences include:
- Substantial fines for non-posting and recordkeeping violations. For serious violations, penalties can be up to $16,131 per violation. For willful or repeated violations, fines can escalate to $161,323 per violation.
- Increased scrutiny and operational risk. A citation for failure to post can trigger a more comprehensive inspection, potentially uncovering other violations. Failure to abate cited violations results in additional penalties of $16,131 per day until corrected.
- Insurance and business implications. Workers' compensation insurers may audit your OSHA 300 logs. Poor safety records, or the absence of required documentation, can lead to higher premium rates. Furthermore, lenders, potential buyers, or landlords may request your OSHA 300A summary during due diligence, and non-compliance can jeopardize lease agreements or financing.
Legal code: Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)
Recent update: For 2026, OSHA's maximum penalty amounts for violations have been adjusted for inflation as published in the Federal Register; always verify the current year's penalty structure on OSHA's official website.
Who Needs a OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses?
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required if you have 11 or more employees at any time during the previous calendar year, per OSHA 29 CFR 1904. |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required if you have 11 or more employees; the physical and service nature of the work (lifting kegs, cleaning) often leads to recordable incidents. |
| Food Truck | Required | Required if you have 11 or more employees, including drivers and kitchen staff; the mobile operation does not exempt you from OSHA recordkeeping rules. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Required if you have 11 or more employees; frequent hot liquid handling and repetitive motion tasks create injury risks that must be recorded. |
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 number of recordable work-related injuries and illnesses from your completed OSHA Form 300 for the previous calendar year, which includes cases requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, days away from work, restricted work, job transfer, or loss of consciousness.
COMMON MISTAKE: Including first-aid only cases or non-work-related incidents, which inflates the number and triggers data verification.
Total hours worked by all employees (for total rate calculation)
textEnter the total hours worked by all employees (including salaried, hourly, temporary, and part-time) during the previous calendar year, calculated from payroll or timekeeping records, excluding vacation, sick leave, or holidays.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using an estimate instead of an exact sum from records or mis-calculating hours for part-time/temporary staff, leading to an inaccurate incidence rate.
Total recordable case incidence rate
textThis is a calculated field (N x 200,000 / H) where N is your total recordable cases and H is total hours worked; it standardizes injury/illness data for comparison across industries.
COMMON MISTAKE: Manually entering an incorrect calculation instead of using the formula; errors here are a primary red flag for OSHA during reviews.
Number of DART cases (days away, restricted, or transferred)
textEnter the sum of cases from Columns H (Days Away from Work) and I (Job Transfer or Restriction) on your OSHA Form 300, representing more serious incidents.
COMMON MISTAKE: Failing to sum both columns correctly or including cases that resulted only in medical treatment without days away/restriction.
Total hours worked by all employees (for DART rate calculation)
textThis should be the same total hours worked figure used for the total recordable case rate; enter it again here for the DART rate calculation.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a different number than in the 'Total hours worked' field above, causing a mismatch and calculation error.
DART incidence rate
textThis is a calculated field (DART cases x 200,000 / H) measuring the rate of serious incidents; it is a key metric for OSHA targeting and potential inspections.
COMMON MISTAKE: Calculation errors or transposing numbers from the DART cases field, which can incorrectly signal a higher or lower safety performance.
Log Year
textEnter the calendar year for which the injury and illness data is being summarized (e.g., 2024 for data from January 1 to December 31, 2024).
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the current posting year instead of the data year, or using a fiscal year, which violates the mandatory calendar-year reporting period.
Establishment Name
textEnter the official, legal name of your restaurant as it appears on tax and incorporation documents, which must match the name used on other OSHA forms.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using a DBA (Doing Business As) name that differs from the legal entity name, causing a mismatch in OSHA's records.
City
textEnter the city where your restaurant is physically located and where the reported work-related incidents occurred.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a corporate headquarters city if different from the establishment location, which misdirects OSHA jurisdiction.
State
textEnter the two-letter state abbreviation (e.g., TN for Tennessee) where your restaurant is physically located.
COMMON MISTAKE: Spelling out the full state name instead of using the abbreviation, or using an incorrect abbreviation.
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. Failing to Count Cases Recorded on the OSHA 300 Log
Many establishments leave the total cases column blank or enter zero, even though they recorded one or more injuries on the confidential OSHA 300 Log. The form must summarize all cases from the Log. For example, if you logged a slip-and-fall requiring first aid and a cut requiring stitches, you have at least two recordable cases to enter. This omission is a direct violation of 29 CFR 1904.29 and can trigger a compliance inspection or citation during an OSHA review, causing significant operational disruption.
2. Miscalculating Total Hours Worked
Entering an estimate, using payroll hours, or forgetting to include hours for all employees (including part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers) is a high-frequency error. The calculation must be the total number of hours all employees actually worked during the year. For instance, if you have 10 full-time employees, you must calculate based on ~2,000 hours each, plus hours for part-time staff, not just use a round number like 20,000. An inaccurate total hours figure skews the incidence rate and is a common finding in OSHA recordkeeping audits, which can lead to penalties for inaccurate reporting.
3. Incorrectly Classifying Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART)
Applicants often confuse cases that resulted in 'days away from work' with those resulting in 'job transfer or restriction' or combine them incorrectly. Each category must be totaled separately from the OSHA 300 Log. For example, a back strain that kept an employee on light duty for 10 days counts in the 'Days of Job Transfer or Restriction' column, not 'Days Away from Work.' Misclassification invalidates the data used by OSHA for national statistics and is a targeted item in enforcement, potentially resulting in fines for improper recordkeeping.
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OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses by City in Tennessee
| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | ||
| Memphis | ||
| Nashville |
Timeline: Varies
Maintain the OSHA 300 Log Throughout the Year
For each work-related injury or illness that meets the OSHA recordability criteria, you must record the case details in the OSHA 300 Log as it occurs. This requires having a clear process to identify, classify, and document incidents. Common mistakes include failing to record cases that require medical treatment beyond first aid or that result in restricted work activity. Keep the log secure but accessible for updating.
Review and Certify the OSHA 300A Summary
Between February 1 and April 30 each year, you must review your completed OSHA 300 Log for the previous calendar year, transfer the totals to the OSHA 300A Summary form, and have a company executive (e.g., owner, highest-ranking onsite manager) certify the summary's accuracy by signing it. Double-check that the totals for each column (total cases, days away from work, etc.) are calculated correctly, as transposition errors are a common filing mistake.
Post the Certified OSHA 300A Summary
You are required to post the signed OSHA 300A Summary in a conspicuous location where all employees can see it, such as a common break room or bulletin board. In Memphis, this must be done annually from February 1 through April 30, covering the data from the prior year. Ensure it is not altered, defaced, or covered by other notices. The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) enforces this posting requirement.
Other Requirements You'll Need
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in Tennessee.
ADA Compliance Self-Certification
federal
Alarm System Permit/Registration
local
Alcohol Server Training Certification
state
Annual Report Filing
state
See all co-required forms and how they connect to your compliance dossier.
See All RequirementsThere is no official processing timeline for this posting. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires covered employers to complete, sign, and post the OSHA Form 300A from February 1 through April 30 each year. The timeline is set by this annual compliance deadline, not by a government processing period. In Memphis, this federal rule applies as soon as your business is operational and has 11 or more employees in most industries.
There are no government filing fees for the OSHA Form 300A. The form itself is provided by OSHA at no cost. You must compile the annual summary data from your internal OSHA Form 300 log of injuries and illnesses. Your main cost is the time to review records and ensure accurate posting, which is a legal obligation under 29 CFR 1904. Not legal advice — verify with OSHA.
No, you cannot transfer a completed OSHA Form 300A. It is a location-specific annual summary of work-related incidents. If you move your restaurant, you must maintain a separate injury and illness log (OSHA Form 300) for the new location and generate a new Form 300A for that site for the next posting period. This is similar to other site-specific requirements like a Building Permit, which is also tied to a physical address.
You must complete and post a new OSHA Form 300A annually. The form summarizes the previous calendar year's data (January 1 to December 31). You are required to post the signed summary in a common area where all employees can see it from February 1 to April 30 each year. After April 30, you must keep the form for five years per 29 CFR 1904.33, as it is a crucial record for potential OSHA inspections.
An OSHA compliance officer can inspect your posted Form 300A during a routine visit or investigation. They will verify it is posted during the mandatory period (Feb 1–Apr 30), is signed by a company executive, and accurately reflects the data from your OSHA Form 300 log. They may cross-check entries with employee interviews or medical records. Failing to post the form can result in citations. Proper record-keeping supports other safety compliance, like ensuring your Backflow Prevention Device Certification is also current to prevent health hazards.
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 Tennessee specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville), 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)
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