• OSHA records regarding injury and illness in the workplace must be kept for five years following the year that the records cover.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 300 Log, the privacy case log(if one exists), the 300A Summary, and the OSHA 301 Incident Report forms must be kept for five years following the end of the calendar year that these records cover.

If, during the five-year storage period, newly discovered recordable injuries or illnesses occur, the stored 300 Logs should be updated to include the new information. If the description or outcome of a case changes, the original entry should be removed and the new information entered. It is not required to update the 300A Annual Summary or 301 Incident Report, but it is optional.

What if a business changes ownership?

If a business changes ownership, the owner is responsible for recording and reporting work-related injuries and illnesses only for that period of the year during which the new owner owned the establishment.

When injury and illness records are transferred to a new owner, that owner must save all records of the establishment kept by the prior owner, but need not update or correct them.