29 CFR § 1904.7
General recording criteria
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What does 29 CFR § 1904.7 require?
29 CFR 1904.7 defines what makes a workplace injury/illness 'recordable' under OSHA's 300 Log system. The criteria are: death, days away from work, restricted work/job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid (this catches most cases), loss of consciousness, or physician diagnosis of significant work-related condition. First aid alone is NOT recordable, but the line between 'first aid' and 'medical treatment' is precisely defined in 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii). Recordable cases must be logged within 7 calendar days. Misrecording (omitting recordable cases or wrongly recording first-aid as non-recordable) is one of the most-cited recordkeeping violations.
Regulation text (summary)
Each employer must record any work-related injury or illness that results in one or more of the following: (a) death; (b) days away from work; (c) restricted work activity or transfer to another job; (d) medical treatment beyond first aid; (e) loss of consciousness; (f) diagnosis of a significant work-related injury or illness by a physician or other licensed health care professional. Each recordable case must be entered on the OSHA 300 Log within 7 calendar days of receiving information that the case occurred.
Read full regulation at eCFR.govWho must comply with 29 CFR § 1904.7?
All employers subject to 29 CFR Part 1904: generally private-sector employers with 10+ employees in non-partially-exempt industries.
What happens if you violate 29 CFR § 1904.7?
Recordkeeping violations: typically classified as 'other-than-serious' with penalties of up to $16,550 per violation under 29 CFR 1903.15(d), the schedule for penalties proposed after January 15, 2025. Patterns of under-recording can escalate to willful violations at up to $165,514. OSHA Inspector also has the option to audit the OSHA 300 against workers' compensation records, medical bills, and incident reports: discrepancies suggest systemic under-recording.
Penalty: Up to $16,550 per serious or other-than-serious violation, up to $16,550 per day for failure to abate, up to $16,550 for a posting violation, and $11,823 to $165,514 per willful violation (up to $165,514 per repeated violation), for penalties proposed after January 15, 2025. 29 CFR 1903.15(d)
Penalty schedule read from the cited source on 2026-09-09.
How to comply (implementation checklist)
- 1Train HR / safety staff on the 6 recordability criteria.
- 2Implement a workflow that captures every work-related injury within 7 days of report.
- 3Cross-reference workers' compensation claims against the 300 Log monthly.
- 4Distinguish first-aid (29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) list) from medical treatment carefully.
- 5Capture restricted-work and job-transfer days even when no actual lost time.
- 6Maintain incident reports / accident investigation records to support 300 Log entries.
- 7Document close-call near-miss reporting (not recordable but useful for safety improvement).
- 8Audit 300 Log accuracy quarterly: compare against medical bills, WC claims, supervisor reports.
Common misinterpretations
- Misinterpretation: 'A doctor visit alone is recordable.' Reality: A doctor visit for a work-related injury where the doctor provides FIRST AID only (cleaning, bandage, over-the-counter medication) is NOT recordable. The visit becomes recordable when MEDICAL TREATMENT is provided: prescription medication, sutures, immobilization, etc.
- Misinterpretation: 'A sprain on the way to lunch isn't work-related.' Reality: Work-relatedness includes injuries that occur on the employer's premises (with very narrow exceptions for personal grooming, eating in the cafeteria as a public visitor, etc.). An injury walking in a hallway during work hours is work-related and potentially recordable.
- Misinterpretation: 'First aid kit medication doesn't count.' Reality: 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) defines 14 specific 'first aid' actions. Anything beyond those 14 actions is medical treatment. Common first-aid: tetanus shots, eyewash, simple bandages. Common medical treatment: prescription medications, sutures, splints, IV fluids.
- Misinterpretation: 'Days away counted from the next workday.' Reality: 29 CFR 1904.7(b)(3) counts days away starting from the day AFTER the injury. The day of injury itself does NOT count as 'day away.' For example, injury Monday, returning Thursday = 2 days away (Tuesday + Wednesday).
How FileFlo handles 29 CFR § 1904.7
FileFlo files the records this section calls for, reads the dates off them, and tracks each one against its renewal. Where a record this section needs is missing or out of date, the gap is named with the citation in your audit binder.
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Frequently asked questions
What makes an injury 'recordable' under 29 CFR 1904.7?▾
Death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or physician diagnosis of significant work-related injury/illness. Any ONE of these makes the case recordable.
What's the difference between first aid and medical treatment?▾
29 CFR 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) lists 14 specific 'first aid' actions: non-prescription medication at non-prescription strength, tetanus immunizations, cleaning/flushing wounds, wound coverings, hot/cold therapy, non-rigid supports, eye patches, foreign body removal from eye by irrigation/cotton swab, finger guards, massages, fluids for heat stress, etc. Anything BEYOND these is medical treatment.
How quickly must I record a case?▾
Within 7 calendar days of receiving information that a recordable case occurred. Late recording is a violation.
Are mental health conditions recordable?▾
Yes: work-related mental illnesses are recordable if they meet the criteria (e.g., physician diagnosis of significant work-related condition). The employee must self-identify a mental illness as work-related for it to enter the OSHA 300 system. Privacy protections apply.
How are days away from work counted?▾
Starting the day AFTER the injury. The day of injury itself is not counted. Injury Monday, returns Thursday = 2 days away (Tuesday + Wednesday). Cap at 180 days (per 1904.7(b)(3)(iv)), beyond that, leave as 180 days.
Does an injury on the way to/from work count?▾
Generally no: commuting is not work-related. Exceptions apply: company vehicle, employer-required travel, business errands during commute.
Related regulations
Related guides
Sources + reviewer
Primary source: eCFR.gov: 29 CFR § 1904.7
Reviewed by Chad Griffith (Founder + CEO, FileFlo) on