OSHA 300 Log 7-Day Recording Deadline: When the Clock Starts
Picture this: a worker reports a nagging pain from a slip last week. You send them to the doctor on Wednesday. The clinic calls Thursday afternoon with news of stitches beyond first aid. That moment triggers the OSHA 300 log 7 day recording deadline. The clock starts ticking right then, not on the slip date. Seven calendar days to enter the case on both the OSHA 300 Log and Form 301. Miss it, and your log sits incomplete.
This rule from 29 CFR 1904.29(b)(3) keeps records accurate and timely. It applies to every recordable work-related injury or illness. Small business owners and safety coordinators need to know exactly when that countdown begins. Here is the full breakdown.
The 7-Calendar-Day Rule
OSHA requires you to enter each recordable case on the OSHA 300 Log and the OSHA 301 Incident Report within seven calendar days. Calendar days mean every day counts: weekends, holidays, all of them. No skipping Saturday just because the office closes.
The regulation states it plainly: "Within seven (7) calendar days after receiving information about a case, you must enter each recordable injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log." The same timeline covers the Form 301. See details on completing the 301 form. This keeps your records reflecting reality as it unfolds.
You can use computer systems under 1904.29(b)(5), as long as you produce paper equivalents on request. Check step-by-step instructions for the 300 Log to get entries right from the start.
When the Clock Actually Starts
The OSHA 300 log 7 day recording deadline does not begin on the injury date. It starts when any employer representative learns the case meets recording criteria. That could be from the worker, a doctor note, or an investigation.
Take this sequence: Injury occurs on the 1st. Worker visits urgent care on the 5th. Diagnosis confirms medical treatment beyond first aid, like stitches. Learn this on the 5th. Your seven calendar days run from the 5th to the 11th. See first aid versus medical treatment guidance.
Once recordable, classify it promptly. For injury versus illness in Column M, review how to mark Column M. A heart attack at work follows the same rule once deemed recordable.
Form 301 Uses the Same Deadline
The OSHA 301 7 day deadline matches the 300 Log exactly. Enter both within seven calendar days of learning the case qualifies. Detail the incident on the 301, then summarize on the 300.
Hearing-Loss Retests
Hearing loss has a twist under 1904.10. If you retest within 30 days and confirm a standard threshold shift (STS), record within seven calendar days of the retest result. No clock starts until then. Learn more in our hearing loss recording article.
Late Discoveries and Log Updates
Discover a recordable case years later during the five-year retention? Record it within seven calendar days of that discovery. The duty persists.
New details arrive later? Update promptly. Day counts change? Recount and adjust. See how to correct entries and day counting rules.
Column D stays the initial injury or onset date, not your learning date. Details in the Column D guide.
Ownership changes or short-term sites do not alter this. New owners inherit prior cases, but you record during your tenure within seven days. Read on business sales and short-term sites.
What This Is Not
These seven calendar days differ from severe injury reporting deadlines. The 8-hour and 24-hour clocks trigger on incident awareness for fatalities or hospitalizations. This recording rule stands alone.
Keeping the Log Current Without a Year-End Scramble
Timely entries build an accurate log over time. FORM 300 LOGBOOK is independent OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 recordkeeping software for small businesses. It is not OSHA, not an OSHA filing service, and does not submit records to the government. It does not replace official OSHA forms, professional judgment, or legal advice. No guaranteed compliance. Explore how it works, features, and OSHA guidance.
Open the workspace at https://form300logbook.com/. A guided entry space helps capture cases while facts remain fresh.