OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses in Houston, Texas (2026)
An incomplete or missing OSHA 300A log exposes your Houston restaurant to fines up to $15,625 per violation and can trigger a targeted workplace inspection by federal OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration). This federal form, also called the OSHA Injury and Illness Summary, must be completed annually, signed, and posted by February 1st for the previous calendar year. Key facts:
- 198 data fields — ApronPrep auto-fills 164 based on your OSHA 300 logs
- $0 government filing fee — OSHA does not charge for form submission or recordkeeping
- Varies timeline — post from Feb. 1–April 30; keep for 5 years
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
The OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses is mandated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act). This requirement is enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and applies to businesses in Houston, Texas, just as it does nationwide. Texas does not have a state OSHA plan, so federal OSHA regulations, found in 29 CFR 1904.32(a), govern the posting requirement. Covered establishments must complete the 300A summary annually, post it in a conspicuous workplace location, and retain it for five years to demonstrate compliance with injury and illness recordkeeping rules.
Failing to properly complete, certify, post, or retain the Form 300A triggers significant penalties and practical consequences. These violations are classified based on severity, with corresponding fines. Key consequences include:
- Serious and Other-than-Serious Violations: Fines up to $16,131 per violation for failing to maintain or post the required record.
- Willful or Repeated Violations: Maximum penalties of up to $161,323 per instance for knowingly disregarding the law.
- Failure-to-Abate Fines: Additional penalties of up to $16,131 per day for not correcting cited violations past the abatement deadline.
- Increased Scrutiny: An incomplete or missing 300A log is a red flag for OSHA inspectors, often leading to a comprehensive wall-to-wall safety inspection of your entire operation.
- Business & Insurance Risk: Inaccurate records can undermine your defense in employee litigation, negatively impact your experience modification rate for workers' compensation insurance, and potentially violate lease covenants requiring compliance with all federal laws.
Legal code: Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act)
Recent update: As of 2025, OSHA's maximum penalty amounts for violations have increased for the new fiscal year, reinforcing the financial risk of non-compliance.
Who Needs a OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses?
| Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (Full-Service) | Required | Required if you have 10 or more employees (excluding sole proprietorships with no employees). |
| Bar / Nightclub | Required | Required if you have 10 or more employees, as hospitality businesses are covered under OSHA's recordkeeping rule. |
| Food Truck | Required | Required if you have 10 or more employees across your mobile food operations. |
| Coffee Shop / Café | Required | Required if you have 10 or more employees; the establishment size, not the business type, triggers the requirement. |
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 work-related injuries and illnesses recorded on your OSHA Form 300 Log for the entire calendar year, which includes all cases meeting OSHA's recordability criteria.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering '0' without verifying that all incidents from your Form 300 Log were correctly categorized and summed, or accidentally omitting illnesses which have a different reporting timeline than injuries.
Total hours worked by all employees (for total rate calculation)
textEnter the total number of hours worked by all employees at this establishment during the calendar year, which should be derived from payroll or timekeeping records (excluding vacation, sick leave, or holidays).
COMMON MISTAKE: Incorrectly including hours for non-employees like contractors or volunteers, or using an estimated figure instead of an actual sum from payroll records, which is required for accurate rate calculation.
Total recordable case incidence rate
textEnter the calculated incidence rate using the formula: (Total Injuries & Illnesses x 200,000) / Total Hours Worked; this field is auto-calculated by ApronPrep if the previous two fields are provided.
COMMON MISTAKE: Manually calculating the rate and making an arithmetic error, or entering the rate in an incorrect format (it should be a number carried to one decimal place, e.g., '4.2').
Number of DART cases (days away, restricted, or transferred)
textEnter the sum of cases from columns H and I on your OSHA Form 300 Log, representing incidents that resulted in days away from work, restricted duty, or job transfer.
COMMON MISTAKE: Failing to sum both columns H and I, or including cases from column G (injuries with only medical treatment beyond first aid) which do not qualify as DART cases.
Total hours worked by all employees (for DART rate calculation)
textEnter the total hours worked by all employees for the year; this is the same figure used for the total recordable case rate calculation and must match the value entered in the corresponding field above.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a different total hours worked number here than in the field for the total recordable rate, which creates an inconsistency and invalidates both calculated rates.
DART incidence rate
textEnter the calculated DART incidence rate using the formula: (Number of DART Cases x 200,000) / Total Hours Worked; ApronPrep auto-calculates this if DART cases and total hours are provided.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using the wrong formula or the total injuries/illnesses number instead of the specific DART cases count, resulting in an inaccurate rate.
Log Year
textEnter the calendar year (YYYY) covered by this summary, which must match the year of the data on your Form 300 Log (e.g., '2025' for the 2025 reporting year).
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering the current year instead of the year being summarized, or using a two-digit year format ('25') instead of the required four digits.
Establishment Name
textEnter the official legal name of your restaurant or business establishment as it appears on your business license and tax filings.
COMMON MISTAKE: Using a DBA (Doing Business As) name that differs from the legal entity name, or abbreviating the name in a way that doesn't match official records.
City
textEnter the city where the establishment is physically located, which must match the address on your OSHA Form 300 Log and other business filings.
COMMON MISTAKE: Entering a mailing address city or PO box location instead of the physical location of the restaurant where employees actually work.
State
textEnter the two-letter postal abbreviation for the state where the establishment is located (e.g., 'TX' for Texas).
COMMON MISTAKE: Spelling out the full state name instead of using the two-letter 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. Using an Inaccurate Employee Count for Calculating Injury Rates
Entering an incorrect number of hours worked or number of employees (from Form 300A, columns B & C) to calculate the Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) in column H. This directly contradicts the data on your Form 300 log and is a common red flag for OSHA inspectors. Always use the exact annual totals of hours worked for all employees (including owners and supervisors) as recorded in your payroll or timekeeping systems. An inaccurate rate can trigger a data verification inquiry, adding administrative burden and potential scrutiny.
2. Omitting Recordable Cases That Occurred to Non-Employee Workers
Failing to include injuries or illnesses of temporary workers, leased employees, or day laborers that you supervised on the day the incident occurred. OSHA's recordkeeping rule (29 CFR 1904.31) requires the host employer to record these cases. For example, if a temp agency worker you direct cuts their hand on your kitchen slicer, it must be on your Form 300 and summarized on the 300A. Omitting these cases is a frequent violation that can lead to citations and fines during an inspection.
3. Incorrectly Classifying Cases on the Form 300, Leading to Bad Summary Data
Miscategorizing an injury as an illness (or vice versa) on the OSHA Form 300 log, which then propagates incorrect totals to the Form 300A summary. A common example is recording a work-related case of COVID-19 as an injury instead of a respiratory illness under column 7i. Since the Form 300A totals are pulled directly from the log, this error creates an inaccurate public summary. Double-check the definitions in OSHA's recordkeeping guidelines before finalizing your annual log.
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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OSHA Form 300A - Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses by City in Texas
| City | Fee Range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas | ||
| Houston | ||
| San Antonio |
Process: 4–6 Steps to Complete and Post OSHA Form 300A in Houston
Gather Injury & Illness Log Data
Compile your completed OSHA Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses for the entire previous calendar year (January 1–December 31). You must have this log already maintained throughout the year. Calculate the total number of cases, days away from work, job transfers, and days of restricted work activity from the log. Have your company's legal name, address, and annual average number of employees ready. The most common error is using incomplete log data or an incorrect date range.
Complete OSHA Form 300A Summary
Fill out the OSHA Form 300A using the data from your Form 300 Log. This form requires specific entries for the total cases, the number of days, and employee demographic information. A critical step is calculating the average number of employees who worked for your company in the past year, as well as total hours worked by all employees—these figures are used to determine if your establishment is exempt from posting requirements. Incorrect calculations here are a frequent audit trigger. ApronPrep can auto-fill the establishment information and guide the calculation process.
Certify and Sign the Form
A company executive (such as the owner, partner, corporate officer, or the highest-ranking official at the establishment) must review, certify the accuracy of the data, and sign the OSHA Form 300A. The certification must be dated. Failure to have the form properly certified by an authorized individual is a common OSHA violation during inspections. Ensure the signatory's title is clearly indicated.
Other Requirements You'll Need
This is one of 13 requirements for opening a restaurant in Texas.
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 posting process for OSHA Form 300A is immediate; you summarize your annual data and then post the form in your workplace from February 1 to April 30. There is no government submission or approval timeline for this specific document. However, maintaining all underlying OSHA 300 logs is an ongoing requirement, and a failure to have them can be flagged during a routine Building Permit inspection by local or state authorities.
The government filing fee for OSHA Form 300A is $0. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not charge for the forms or their posting requirement. However, indirect compliance costs can arise if you lack proper documentation and face fines during an inspection. Not legal advice — verify with OSHA.
No, you cannot transfer the summary. OSHA Form 300A is a location- and year-specific snapshot of your workplace safety record. If you move your restaurant to a new address, you must create a new summary for that location for each applicable year. You must also ensure you complete new site-specific registrations, such as a City Business License/Registration, which may trigger separate safety reviews.
You must create and post a new OSHA Form 300A annually. The process involves summarizing the previous calendar year's injury and illness data from your OSHA 300 Log, then posting the summary in a common area from February 1 to April 30 each year. This is a recurring federal requirement for covered employers, separate from local renewals like your alarm system permit.
During an OSHA inspection, a compliance officer will request to see your posted OSHA Form 300A for the current posting period (Feb 1–Apr 30) and the underlying OSHA 300 Log for the past five years. They will verify the data's accuracy and check for proper recordkeeping. According to OSHA, common violations include failing to post the summary or not recording recordable injuries, which can result in citations and fines.
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 Texas specifically, we have analyzed compliance dossiers for 3 cities (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio), 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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