What Date Goes in Column D of the OSHA 300 Log?
A worker slips on the shop floor December 30. They miss work into the new year. You stare at the OSHA 300 Log. Which date goes in Column D? Which year's log holds the entry? Get it wrong, and your recordkeeping unravels. Small errors compound at year-end. OSHA audits spot them fast.
This guide cuts through the confusion. It draws from 29 CFR 1904.29, the rule for Column D labeled "Date of injury or onset of illness," plus 1904.6 on new cases and 1904.7 on day counts. Facts reflect OSHA texts current as of August 2026.
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.
Column D Holds the Incident Date, Not the Entry Date
Column D on the OSHA 300 Log demands the date of injury or onset of illness. This marks when the event happened. Or when the illness began. Do not enter the date you add the row. Skip the first doctor's visit date unless it ties to onset. Ignore the 7-day recording deadline.
Workers remember the slip. Or the rash that bloomed. Pin that calendar day. It anchors the entire case.
Injuries Get the Event Date
Injuries strike fast. A fall. A cut. Enter the date it occurred. Say a machine pinches a finger on March 15. Write 03/15/YYYY in Column D. Simple.
Follow our step-by-step instructions on filling out the OSHA 300 Log for full details on every column.
Illnesses Need the Onset Date
OSHA 300 Log Date of Onset of Illness Calls for Judgment
Illnesses creep in. Enter the date of onset. This often means the diagnosis date. Or when you first learned of it. Or when you recognized it as work-related. Judgment applies. Note your sources. A logbook entry like "Rash onset 04/10 after chemical exposure, confirmed by clinic 04/12" proves diligence.
Separate the 7-Day Rule from Column D
You have 7 calendar days under 1904.29(b)(3). Receive info on a recordable case. Enter it on the 300 Log and 301 Incident Report. This deadline prompts action. It never goes in Column D.
Miss the window? Update as soon as you learn. But Column D stays fixed on the incident.
Which Year OSHA 300 Log? The Year It Happened
Record the case on the log for the calendar year of the injury or illness onset. December 30 injury? Use that year's log. Track days away or restricted work into January on the same case. See day count rules for cross-year details. Never start a new case on next year's log for the same event.
Death Changes Classification, Not Column D
Date of death skips Column D. Describe the injury or illness in Column F. Check the Death box in Column G. Record death date on the OSHA 301 Incident Report. Update the 300 Log classification if needed.
Handle Late Cases and Corrections Right
Discover a prior recordable case? Add it to that year's log. Use the original Column D date. Learn more in our guide on how to correct an OSHA 300 Log entry.
New Case or Recurrence?
Symptoms return from an old case? Keep the original date. New event? New case, new Column D. Review new case vs. recurrence rules under 1904.6.
Column D Checklist
- What happened? Injury event date or illness onset date?
- Pin the calendar date. Not doctor's visit or entry day.
- Which year's log matches that date?
- Keep 7-day entry deadline separate.
- Death? Check Column G. Date on 301 form.
Organize Cases with FORM 300 LOGBOOK
FORM 300 LOGBOOK keeps case dates, classifications, and linked 301 details in one spot. Year-end reviews run smooth. No scramble. Check it out at how it works or OSHA guidance.
Nail Column D Every Time
Column D sets the case's timeline. Get the OSHA 300 log date of injury or date of onset of illness right. Your records stand firm. Audits pass. Workers stay safe. One date. One year. Done right.