A Digital Guide to Annual OSHA Reporting (2025 Edition)
Forms, logs, ITA submissions—the list goes on.
OSHA reporting season can be overwhelming, even for seasoned professionals. With complex regulations, deadlines, and data requirements, it’s easy to miss a step and risk non-compliance.
That’s why we’ve compiled everything into this one-stop guide—breaking down key OSHA reporting requirements, common mistakes, and how to leverage technology to make compliance easier.
Who Owns OSHA Reporting in Your Organization?
Surprisingly, many HR and Risk Management teams handle OSHA reporting instead of EHS leaders. So whether you are in HR, Risk, or Legal, this is for you:
📌 Track & document incidents properly—don’t leave it to chance.
📌 Stay updated on federal & state-specific OSHA rules.
📌 Ensure HR & EHS systems are integrated to prevent data gaps.
🚀 Take action: If your company doesn’t have a structured OSHA reporting workflow, now is the time to build one.
OSHA Recordkeeping 101: The Basics
Before diving into compliance strategies, let’s cover the fundamentals of OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements.
What OSHA Forms Do You Need?
📌 OSHA 300 Log: Tracks individual workplace injuries or illnesses.
📌 OSHA 300A Form: Annual summary of all recorded incidents. Must be posted from Feb 1 - April 30 every year.
📌 OSHA 301 Form: Detailed incident reports documenting how, when, and why an injury occurred.
Who Needs to Report?
Most employers with 10 or more employees must maintain records of serious work-related injuries and illnesses, unless they fall under an exempt low-risk industry.
But here’s where it gets tricky: Many people confuse recordable incidents with reportable incidents.
Reportable incidents must be reported to OSHA within hours, while recordable incidents must be logged but not immediately reported.
Examples of Reportable Incidents:
✔ A worker hospitalized after a chemical spill.
✔An amputation caused by machinery failure.
✔ Eye loss from a welding mishap.
⚠️ Missing a reportable incident deadline can lead to fines.
Avoid These 5 OSHA Reporting Mistakes
Even experienced teams fall into common traps that lead to compliance issues, fines, or delays. Let’s break down the top 5 mistakes and how to avoid them:
📌 1. Misclassifying Incidents
Not every workplace injury is recordable, but missing or misclassifying incidents can trigger penalties.
Fix: Train HR & EHS teams with a decision tree or quick reference guide.
📌 2. Incomplete Documentation
Missing details on the OSHA 301 form means having to track down employees later—or worse, facing fines.
Fix: Use a digital system that captures all required data upfront.
📌 3. Missing Deadlines
Certain incidents must be reported to OSHA within hours (e.g., fatalities within 8 hours).
Fix: Set up automated compliance reminders in your EHS software.
📌 4. Poor Recordkeeping
If your logs aren’t accurate, an OSHA audit can turn into a nightmare.
Fix: Regularly review logs & use a centralized system for easy tracking.
📌 5. Lack of Training
If your team doesn’t understand reporting requirements, compliance becomes a guessing game.
Fix: Conduct regular training & keep leadership informed.
Posting OSHA 300A: Step-by-Step Guide
Starting February 1, employers must post their OSHA 300A summary for three months. If you manage multiple locations, this can be a major headache—so here’s a streamlined checklist to stay on track:
✔ Confirm injuries listed on the OSHA 300 log.
✔ Summarize incidents on the 300A form.
✔ Have a company executive sign & certify the form.
✔ Post in a visible location in each workplace.
✔ Retain records for at least 5 years.
👉 OSHA Forms & Resources: Download Here
How Digital Solutions Simplify OSHA Compliance
Let’s be real—managing OSHA reporting manually can be painful. That’s where EHS software can help you.
A good EHS system can:
✔ Automatically generate OSHA 300 logs & 300A summaries.
✔ Set up submission reminders so you never miss a deadline.
✔ Streamline OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) process for electronic reporting.
⚠️ Remember: While paper records are legally allowed, a digital system will save hours of work and reduce errors.
👉 OSHA ITA Submission Requirements: Read More
Automating Hours Worked
The Challenge of Tracking Hours Worked in OSHA Reporting
If you’ve ever talked to me in person or at a conference about safety reporting, you’ve probably heard me ask: How do you handle hours worked?
The answer to that question often reveals a lot—not just about reporting, but about how people feel about their EHS software, data processes, and overall system efficiency.
Here’s how my experience with tracking hours worked evolved over time, and why getting it right is such a game-changer for OSHA reporting.
Phase 1 - The Manual Approach
In the beginning, hours worked were manually pulled from three separate reports and manually imported into the system.
✔ Pros
↳ Absolutely none.
✖️ Cons
↳ Major data governance issues.
↳ Took two full workdays every month to compile unreliable data.
Phase 2️⃣ - Some Automation, but Still Flawed
Eventually, we moved to a system where hours were automatically ingested at the site level for 100+ locations. The data was limited to just [Site Name] = Hours—which helped, but still had major issues.
✔ Pros
↳ No longer fully manual.
✖️ Cons
↳ Employees and contractors moved between sites frequently, but hours weren’t tied to individuals, leading to inaccurate data.
↳ Integration gaps meant new sites were missing hours, turning every reporting cycle into an investigative process.
↳ Manual validation and reviews were still required—both by the EHS Systems team and each site’s EHS Lead.
↳ The system couldn’t bulk-generate logs, meaning we had to click into every single site, set the parameters, and manually generate each report.
↳ It took nearly 2.5 weeks to manually generate logs across 130+ sites, just to meet the February 1 OSHA 300A posting deadline.
Phase 3️⃣ - Full Automation with the Right Foundation
When we implemented an entirely new system, we took the opportunity to rethink our approach and define clear goals for how data should be structured.
By working closely with the vendor and our People Systems team, we designed a system that actually made sense:
📌 The timecard table in the EHS system was built correctly from the start—capturing key data points like hierarchy levels, site, person, cost center, and hours for accurate validation and reporting.
📌 Hours were tied to the individual employee, not just the site. When employees moved between locations, their hours moved with them, solving a major tracking issue.
📌 By incorporating site, cost center, and department data, we could break down incident rates beyond just the site level. This gave Shop Leaders deeper visibility into trends.
📌 Hours and headcount finally aligned logically, and the data made sense. No more inconsistencies—the math was finally math’ing.
📌 For 130+ sites, we built an OSHA Reporting Readiness Dashboard. This allowed us to flag missing data (like NAICS codes, establishment details, or required 301 ITA fields) before generating reports.
Lessons Learned: Automation Isn’t a Quick Fix
Getting to this level of automation took years of trial and error. Complex operations—especially with hundreds of sites and contractors—require thoughtful solutions.
Here’s what made the difference:
↳ Setting clear goals from the start. Instead of just replicating past processes in a new system, we focused on how the data should look on the other side.
↳ Collaborating with the right teams. Bringing in HR, IT, and business partners early helped ensure data flowed correctly across systems.
↳ Building a scalable solution. A patchwork fix might work for a few sites, but when you’re managing 100+ locations, you need a system that scales.
The end result? A reporting process that finally made sense, saved time, and provided reliable data.
Tracking hours worked might seem like a minor detail, but getting it right makes a huge difference in OSHA reporting and overall safety performance tracking.
Mastering OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA)
If your company has 250+ employees (or 20+ employees in a high-risk industry), you’re required to electronically submit injury and illness data to OSHA’s ITA portal by March 2, 2025.
Not sure where to start? Check out Part 1 for a step-by-step guide:
Once you start your submission, small errors can cause delays or rejections.
Below are some of the most common ITA pitfalls and how to avoid them:
📌 Mismatched Establishment Names → The name in your CSV must match OSHA ITA exactly, including spaces and punctuation.
📌 Incorrect Date Formatting → OSHA only accepts MM-DD-YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY.
📌 Case Numbers Over 100 Characters → Keep them short and unique to each case.
📌 Exceeding Character Limits → Job title, description, and location fields must be under 255 characters.
📌 Leaving Required Fields Blank → Missing data in required fields (e.g., “Days Away from Work”) results in automatic rejection.
Take Action:
✔ Use OSHA’s CSV Template to ensure proper formatting. Download Here
✔ Review your data before submission to catch missing or incorrect fields.
By ensuring your data is correctly formatted and complete, you can avoid common errors and streamline your OSHA submission.
Final Thoughts: Stay Ahead of OSHA Compliance in 2025 and Beyond
OSHA reporting doesn’t have to be a stressful, last-minute task. With a solid process in place, it can be a routine part of managing workplace safety rather than a yearly scramble.
Keeping accurate records throughout the year makes reporting easier and helps catch mistakes before they become bigger issues. When data is well-organized and processes are clear, compliance becomes more manageable, and there’s less risk of missing deadlines or submitting inaccurate information.
Technology can help, but it’s not the only solution.
The key is making sure everyone involved understands their role in the process, whether that means tracking incidents correctly, reviewing data for accuracy, or ensuring reports are submitted on time.
💬 Over to you: How does your company manage OSHA reporting? What systems or best practices do you use? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear!
📞 If you need help in reporting season or want to streamline your injury record-keeping digitally, let’s chat.
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Articles were written in collaboration with TJ Armic on LinkedIn. You can reach out to TJ at tj.armic@starboard-solutions.com or here https://www.linkedin.com/in/armictj/Original Post Links
→ Foundations of OSHA Reporting/ Posting Requirements by Tihomir J. Armic: https://lnkd.in/dTxNePDE
→ OSHA Record Keeping by Tihomir J. Armic: https://lnkd.in/dCFweJD9
→ Simplify OSHA Compliance with Digital Solutions by Tihomir J. Armic:
https://lnkd.in/da8GaJ_P
→ Avoiding these Top 5 OSHA Reporting Mistakes by Tihomir J. Armic : https://lnkd.in/df86-6xg
→ Automating Hours Worked by Arianna Bailey Howard: https://lnkd.in/dDRnirSw
→Who owns OSHA Reporting by Arianna Bailey Howard: https://lnkd.in/d_7nXPG9
→ Part 1 of Mastering OSHA’s (ITA) by Arianna Bailey Howard: https://lnkd.in/ddFJjuPM
→ Part 2 of Mastering OSHA’s (ITA) by Arianna Bailey Howard: https://lnkd.in/dTygxr-6