Although April 30 was the last day employers had to post their 2023 Form 300a, Annual Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, don’t toss them in trash!
Remember, from February 1 to April 30, California employers must post their annual summary of work-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during the previous calendar year in a visible and easily accessible area at each worksite — even if no workplace injuries occurred. Employers also must record all job-related injuries and illnesses on the Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses as well as record the incident on the Form 301, Injury and Illness Incident Report.
Although their posting obligation is complete, employers still have to retain their 2023 Form 300, Form 300a and Forms 301 for five years following the end of the calendar year these records cover. That means employers can do some spring cleaning and toss any pre-2018 records.
It’s important to note that during this five-year period, employers must update their Form 300 with any newly discovered recordable injuries and illnesses.
Even employers who electronically submitted their 2023 injury and illness data to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration must keep and maintain their Form 300, Form 300a and Form 301 records.
Additionally, employees, former employees and their properly authorized personnel representatives are entitled to request copies of the Form 300 (with all personal identifying information deleted unless under certain circumstances) and current or archived Forms 300a. After a request is made, employers must provide these copies by the end of the next business day. It’s unlawful for an employer to terminate or discriminate against an employee for requesting access to an occupational injury or illness report.
Katie Culliton, Editor, CalChamber
CalChamber members can use the Log 300 wizard on HRCalifornia to determine whether a business is subject to Cal/OSHA’s Log 300 recording, reporting and posting requirements. Not a member? Learn how to power your business with a CalChamber membership.
