OSHA 300 Log Requirements for General Contractors & Construction Employers
Picture this: It's Friday afternoon at a bustling multi-story build site. A subcontractor's worker takes a fall from a scaffold, twisting an ankle. The general contractor's safety lead ducks into the jobsite trailer, staring at a stack of OSHA 300 logs. Which one gets this entry? The site-specific form for this year-long project, or the combined log for short-term jobs across the region? One wrong choice, and come audit time, explanations get complicated.
Scenarios like this play out weekly for general contractors and specialty trade firms under NAICS 23 OSHA recordkeeping rules. OSHA 300 log construction demands clarity on coverage, establishments, and who counts as your employee. This guide breaks down OSHA 300 requirements for construction employers, starting with the basics you cannot skip.
First, Confirm If You Are Covered Under OSHA Recordkeeping
Not every construction business maintains an OSHA 300 log. Exemptions hinge on company-wide size and industry, not just your busiest site.
If your entire company had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the last calendar year, counting peak headcount, part-timers, and seasonal hires, you generally skip Forms 300, 300A, and 301. Unless OSHA or the Bureau of Labor Statistics requests them in writing. See 29 CFR 1904.1.
Construction NAICS 23 sits outside OSHA's partially exempt industries list in Appendix A to Subpart B. So covered construction employers record regardless of trade specifics. Verify your six-digit NAICS, total headcount, establishment setup, and any State Plan variations at OSHA's recordkeeping page. Readers: check primary sources. Rules evolve.
All employers report severe injuries: fatalities within 8 hours, in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, or eye losses within 24 hours. Details at OSHA.gov/report and our severe injury guide.
OSHA 300 Logs for Construction: Year-Long Sites vs. Short-Term Jobs
Separate Logs for Expected Long-Term Establishments
Establishments projected to run a year or more each need their own OSHA 300 Log and 301 Incident Reports, per 1904.30. Think multi-year commercial builds or infrastructure overhauls.
Flexibility for Short-Term Construction Sites
Jobs lasting under a year? Skip separate logs per site. Use one log for all short-term sites, or group by division or region. Centralize at headquarters if you relay recordable details within seven days and produce records on-site promptly. Learn more in our posts on short-term job sites and multiple locations.
Multi-Employer Sites: Who Enters Your Construction Injury Log?
On shared jobsites, general contractors log injuries for employees under their day-to-day supervision. This often includes temps dispatched through agencies. 1099 independent contractors? Not automatically yours—it depends. GC vs. sub labels do not dictate alone. Review temporary workers and independent contractors guidance.
Handling Recordable Cases in Construction
Common triggers: falls from height, struck-by equipment, caught-in-between hazards, electrocutions, lacerations, heat illness. Determine recordability with care—first aid stays off, medical treatment goes on. Link to first aid vs. medical treatment and heat illness. Follow general OSHA 300 workflow: enter within 7 days on Form 300, detail on 301.
Year-End Summary, Posting, and Electronic Submission
Post Form 300A summary February 1–April 30 at each establishment. See 300A posting details.
ITA submission: NAICS 23 construction with 20–249 employees (including part-time/seasonal/temps) submits 300A by March 2. 250+ employees also file. Appendix B case data (300/301) hits specific codes like 2381; check yours at 1904.41, App A, App B, and injuryreporting. More at 300A submission and 300/301 for 100+. FORM 300 LOGBOOK keeps records; it does not submit.
Retain forms 5 years. Guide: record retention.
Construction OSHA Recordkeeping Checklist
- Verify coverage: company-wide <11 employees? Exempt unless asked.
- Separate 300 Log per year+ site; combine short-term.
- Log supervised workers on multi-sites, temps often included.
- Enter recordables promptly: falls, struck-by, etc.
- Post 300A Feb 1–Apr 30.
- Submit 300A electronically if 20–249 NAICS 23.
- Check Appendix B for 300/301 data.
- Retain 5 years; central OK with 7-day relay.
Streamline with a Dedicated Recordkeeping Workspace
Trailer-to-office handoffs, multi-site tracking, linked 301 details, and organized backups cut year-end scrambles. FORM 300 LOGBOOK offers guided entry and audit-ready records for small covered businesses. See the FORM 300 LOGBOOK plan. Explore OSHA guidance, how it works, and small business requirements. Start your OSHA recordkeeping workspace.
Decide Today: Build Your Logs Right
OSHA recordkeeping general contractors demands precision over assumption. Confirm coverage, define establishments, log the right cases. Your next Friday avoids the trailer stack-up. Verify at OSHA.gov—then act.