Is Your Business Exempt from OSHA Recordkeeping?

Not every business is required to maintain OSHA injury and illness records. If you're unsure whether your company needs to complete and submit forms like the OSHA 300A each year, you're not alone — and the rules can be confusing.

In this post, we'll walk through how exemptions work, which businesses qualify, and give you a simple way to check your exemption status.

What Is the OSHA Recordkeeping Exemption?

OSHA requires many employers to keep records of serious work-related injuries and illnesses. However, two main groups of employers are exempt from these recordkeeping requirements:

Small businesses
- If your company had 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year, you are exempt from routinely keeping OSHA injury and illness records.
- This exemption applies regardless of your industry.
Low-hazard industries
- Certain industries with historically low rates of occupational injuries and illnesses are also exempt.
- This is based on your NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code.
- You can find the full list of exempt industries on OSHA's website.

What If You're Not Exempt?

If your business is not exempt, you're required to:

Keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses on OSHA Forms 300, 301, and 300A
Post the OSHA 300A summary from February 1 to April 30 every year
Submit electronically to OSHA via the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) if you meet the criteria

Missing or improperly filing these records can result in penalties — and a last-minute scramble every January.

Check Your Exemption Status

Use the tool below to quickly see if your business is exempt based on your NAICS code and number of employees:

OSHA Record Keeping Exemption Checker

Enter your NAICS code to check if your business is exempt from OSHA record keeping requirements

Make Recordkeeping Simple

That's where OSHAFile.com can help. We streamline the recordkeeping process so you can stay compliant without the headache. Just log incidents as they happen and we'll handle the formatting, summaries, and 300A submissions when the time comes.

Final Thoughts

Even if you think you're exempt, it's worth double-checking. The exemption rules are strict, and exemptions only apply to routine recordkeeping — not to OSHA inspections or incident reporting requirements.

Use the tool above to be sure, and if you're on the hook for recordkeeping, we've got your back.