Common OSHA Reporting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 

When worker injuries reach a level of severity, you are required to report the incident to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within a specific timeframe. Not meeting the deadline, omitting information or submitting an incorrect incident report could open your business up to hefty fines — up to $161,323 per violation in 2024. 

Because you and your team are balancing multiple duties, and may lack the training and knowledge necessary to accurately file all necessary OSHA reports, it is easy to fall into the trap of OSHA reporting mistakes which can leave you in financial trouble.  

4 Common OSHA Reporting Mistakes 

Here are four common — and costly — OSHA reporting mistakes and what you can do to avoid them. 

Incorrect Classification of Injuries and Illnesses 

OSHA has specific requirements for what is classified as a recordable injury or illness. Some things, such as fatalities, injuries that result in loss of consciousness or fractured or cracked bones or teeth can be easy to identify. But other conditions, such as work-related cancer diagnoses, chronic irreversible diseases or hearing loss may not be as clear. 

Misclassification of injuries and illnesses is considered a recordkeeping violation, even if it’s done inadvertently. In December 2022, OSHA fined six Amazon warehouses $29,008 total for a variety of violations, including incorrectly classifying injuries and illnesses. 

At its most basic, the OSHA requirement that employers record and report work-related injuries and illnesses is designed to help employers know where their specific occupational hazards are so they can prevent further incidents. By incorrectly classifying an injury as “first aid” instead of a “recordable” injury, you could be underrepresenting the occupational risks to your employees, putting them in further danger. 

Late Reporting 

There are strict deadlines for reporting recordable injuries and illnesses. OSHA Form 300 and Form 301, where you document the details of the injury or illness, must be completed within seven calendar days of an incident. At the end of each year, you are also required to complete and submit OSHA Form 300A, which must be sent to OSHA by March 1. Fatalities must be reported to OSHA within eight hours of an incident, and any amputation, loss of an eye or hospitalization must be reported within 24 hours. 

Keeping up with the strict reporting guidelines can be difficult if you have a team that’s already stretched thin with their regular work, you don’t have a dedicated individual who manages your OSHA reporting or you don’t have complete information about the incident or injured employee. It’s easy for a Form 300 to get started shortly following an incident and then, as you wait for further information from the injured employee, finishing and submitting the form gets forgotten in the daily hustle and bustle. 

Inaccurate Data Entry 

Gathering the correct facts about an incident that led to an injury or illness can be difficult. Workers’ memories are incomplete, or you are unable to speak to an injured worker due to their condition. Additionally, if you are filling out reports using paper notes, it’s easy to misunderstand a word, changing the entire incident report. 

Inaccurate data entry is considered a violation that may lead to a fine, even if you didn’t intend to file an inaccurate report. Not having correct data misrepresents the conditions of an injury to OSHA, as well as leaving your workers with incorrect information about incidents impacting their coworkers, may give you an inaccurate picture of the health and safety hazards of your workplace. Without a complete understanding of the accidents that have occurred, you can’t take appropriate steps to protect your workers from further injuries. 

Failure to Maintain Records 

OSHA requires all Form 301 filings to be retained by your business for a minimum of five years. The organization can and does ask for records of prior years’ injuries, and you must be ready to provide those records to OSHA when they ask. These records also must be provided to current and former employees or their representatives upon request. 

Failure to retain records for the required amount of time opens you up to OSHA violations and costly fines. Even if you switched from paper to electronic files, not having records during the required time period could open you up to a fine of $16,131 per violation — meaning you could face multiple fines for not maintaining multiple records. 

How to Avoid OSHA Reporting Mistakes 

Not complying with OSHA’s reporting and recordkeeping requirements can be costly for your business monetarily and with respect to your reputation. Here are some tips to help you avoid common OSHA reporting mistakes. 

Training and Education 

Knowledge and resources are the greatest defense against potential violations. Ensure that key members of your team have training in OSHA reporting and recordkeeping requirements and have more than one person who can manage OSHA reporting. 

Hold annual retraining to provide a refresher on the requirements and reporting process, as well as communicating any changes that may have occurred within the last year. This training could happen concurrently with an annual review of your OSHA recordables for the year, allowing you to evaluate incidents individually and come up with ideas of how your organization could have responded better in both reporting and incident prevention. 

Implement a Reliable Reporting System 

While using a paper and pen, or sending incident information via email, can be less costly, it’s also more likely to be lost, confused or include inaccurate information. 

Investing in a centralized recordkeeping and reporting system could pay for itself in avoided OSHA fines. If you don’t want to take on this burden yourself, you can contract your OSHA reporting and recordkeeping services to a third party that handles all the details for you. 

Regular Audits and Reviews 

The more frequently you evaluate your OSHA recordables and reports, the quicker you can catch potential issues and correct them. Schedule regular meetings with your leadership or management team to look over all work-related injuries and illnesses, regardless of whether they became OSHA recordables.  

Look at the circumstances of the incident, the injuries the worker suffered, how your team responded and any costs related to the incident. Brainstorm potential causes of each incident and look for ways to avoid similar problems in the future, making changes as necessary. This not only reduces your workers’ injury risks, but it decreases the number of incidents that will become OSHA recordables — decreasing the reporting and recordkeeping burden on your staff. 

Seek Professional Assistance 

As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate. Keeping on top of OSHA reporting and recordkeeping requirements is a big job, and it’s one that you may not feel comfortable heaping onto your managers. 

If necessary, explore options for a third-party OSHA recordkeeping and reporting service. These providers keep updated on the latest OSHA requirements and have whole teams of people who can ensure your reports get completed and filed correctly and on time. 

Your Partner in OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping 

At Medcor, we understand how burdensome OSHA’s reporting and recordkeeping requirements can be. Knowing what needs to get filed and when can be difficult, and even a small inadvertent mistake could open you up to serious fines. Our virtual OSHA reporting and recordkeeping service takes this burden off your shoulders, getting the reporting process started immediately so your team doesn’t have to worry about it.  

Learn more about how Medcor’s OSHA recordkeeping and reporting service can help your business avoid OSHA fines and file accurate, timely incident reports. Speak to an advocate today.