Who issues OSHA Form 301?
OSHA Form 301 issued by the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The OSHA 301 form is also called the Injury and Illness Report. It is the obligation of employers to record and report any work-related incidents that may result in severe injuries or have a severe effect on their employees. All work providers have to fill out certain documents required by law and Form OSHA 301 is to be completed when a corresponding incident occurs.
What is the purpose of OSHA Form 301?
The form's purpose is to report separate cases of injuries or deaths that happened in the workplace, or work-related illnesses.
The OSHA regulation defines the following work-related cases for recording:
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Any lethal outcome;
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Any injury or illness that caused loss of consciousness, days away from work, limited ability to perform work, or transfer to another job;
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Any injury or illness involving medical treatment besides first aid;
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Any confirmed case of cancer, chronic diseases, broken or cracked bones or teeth, and punctured eardrums.
Besides the aforementioned reasons, work-related incidents resulting from sharp injuries and needlesticks, loss of hearing, tuberculosis and medical removal also fall into the category of recordable cases.
What Forms does OSHA Form 301 accompany?
Form 301 serves two purposes at the same time: it is a basis for completing OSHA Forms 300 and 300A and as a supporting evidence for what is then recorded on those two forms. All these three forms are equally integral parts of OSHA records that must be submitted by employers to analyze and take preventive measure in order to better the situation in terms of employees’ safety in the workplace.
When is OSHA Form 301 due?
An employer who has found out about a recordable work-related injury or illness must complete OSHA Form 301 within seven days after the incident. However, if a fatal case occurred, submission must be reported within the first eight hours; if the incident has lead to an amputation, loss of an eye or worker’s hospitalization, Form 301 must be filed within 24 hours.
Copies of all filed Form 301s must be retained by employers for five years after the respective cases happen.
What information should be provided on OSHA Form 301?
The Injury and Illness Incident Report is a one-page form. It must provide the details for the following:
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The employee who is a victim in an incident;
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The physician or other health care professional who attends the employee;
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Information about the case (when, how and why it happened).
