Are Business Travel Injuries Recordable on the OSHA 300 Log?

Picture this: Your top salesperson touches down at a distant airport after a red-eye flight. They grab a rental car and drive directly to a key customer site for a full-day pitch. Halfway there, traffic slows. A chunk of tire tread bounces across lanes. The driver swerves to dodge it, clips the guardrail, and jars an ankle on the brake pedal. Bruised but mobile, the employee finishes the visit before seeking treatment. Back at headquarters, the safety coordinator stares at the injury report. Does travel status under 1904.5(b)(6) make this OSHA business travel injury recordable on the 300 Log?

"FORM 300 LOGBOOK is independent software for organizing OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 recordkeeping information. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, approved by, or operated by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor. This article is independent educational guidance based on sources published by OSHA. It is not legal advice, does not replace official OSHA forms, does not submit records to OSHA, and does not guarantee compliance."

The Employer-Interest Test in 1904.5(b)(6) Travel Status

OSHA's 29 CFR 1904.5(b)(6) sets the rule for work-relatedness during travel status. Injuries and illnesses count as work-related if the employee was engaged in work activities "in the interest of the employer" at the moment of the incident. This covers travel to and from customer contacts, performing job tasks, or business entertainment. But work-related does not mean automatically recordable. Those cases still must meet the general recording criteria in 1904.7.

State Plan states may interpret these rules differently. Always check your state program's adoption of Federal OSHA standards.

Customer Visits and Travel Between Job Tasks

Direct trips to client sites often qualify. In the airport-to-customer drive above, the employee pursued a core job duty. That positions the crash as a customer visit injury OSHA 300 recordable candidate, assuming it meets severity thresholds like medical treatment beyond first aid.

The same holds for shuttling between meetings or job tasks. Travel in direct support of employer business keeps the employee in the work environment.

Hotels, Motels, and Temporary Lodging: The 'Home Away from Home' Rule

Hotel Home Away from Home OSHA Exception

Check-in changes everything under 1904.5(b)(6). Once an employee settles into a hotel or motel for one or more days, it becomes a "home away from home." Post-check-in activities mirror those of a local employee. The work environment ends at check-in and restarts with the next workday.

A slip in the hotel hallway after unpacking personal items? Likely not work-related. The employee has left the work sphere for rest.

Daily Commutes from Temporary Lodging to Fixed Worksite

For multi-day stays with a fixed jobsite, like a week-long project, the morning drive from hotel to site counts as commuting. These are exempt, similar to home-to-work trips. Injuries en route fall outside the work environment.

Learn more about OSHA 300 logs for multiple locations, including temporary sites.

Personal Detours and Side Trips: Breaking the Direct Route

Personal detour work-relatedness hinges on route deviation. A side trip for lunch with family or shopping pulls the incident out of work bounds. Stick to the reasonably direct path for protection under travel status.

Business Entertainment: Employer Direction Required

Client dinners or events qualify only if at the employer's direction. Self-initiated socializing does not.

Travel Status vs. Ordinary Commuting

Travel status under 1904.5(b)(6) differs from standard commutes exempt by 1904.5(b)(2), like parking lot incidents. See the full breakdown in our commuting injury guide. Home offices follow 1904.5(b)(7); details here.

Decision Checklist for 1904.5(b)(6)

1. Was the employee on travel status?
2. Engaged in employer-interest activities at incident time?
3. Checked into lodging? Treat as home away from home.
4. Daily fixed-site commute? Exempt.
5. Personal detour? Not work-related.
6. Meets 1904.7 recording criteria? Log if yes.

Use Column D date guidance for travel cases. For temps, see temp worker recording.

Real-World Examples of Business Travel Injuries

• Airport to client crash: Work-related, potential OSHA 300 entry.
• Side trip to relatives: Personal detour, not recordable.
• Hotel slip after check-in: Home away from home, exempt.
• Client report in hotel room: If work task, recordable.
• Directed client dinner injury: Work-related.
• Hotel to daily site drive: Commute-like, not work-related.

Streamline Your Recordkeeping

FORM 300 LOGBOOK organizes case information, linked 301 details, review handoffs, and recordkeeping copies. It does not decide travel work-relatedness, classify the trip, or guarantee compliance.

Based on 29 CFR 1904.5(b)(6) as published by OSHA, current as of August 2026. Consult OSHA guidance for latest interpretations.