How many employees before OSHA recordkeeping applies?

Short answer

Employers with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year are generally exempt from routinely keeping the OSHA 300 log, as are establishments in certain low-hazard industries. Every employer, regardless of size or industry, must still report a work-related fatality within 8 hours and an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.

What the exemption does and does not cover

Exempt: routinely maintaining the OSHA 300 log, 300A summary, and 301 reports
Not exempt: reporting severe injuries and fatalities to OSHA
Not exempt: every other applicable standard — training, written programs, PPE, guarding
Not exempt: responding if OSHA or the BLS specifically requests your records in a survey

Counting employees correctly

The count is peak employment across the whole previous calendar year, company-wide, not an average and not per location. Part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers you supervise count. A business that ran 14 people for one busy month is not exempt for that year.

Low-hazard industry exemption

A partially exempt list of industry classifications — much of retail, finance, insurance, and many service businesses — is exempt from routine recordkeeping regardless of size. Construction, manufacturing, warehousing, and most trades are not on it.

If you do have to keep records

Record a case within 7 calendar days of learning about it
Post the 300A summary from February 1 to April 30
Keep records for 5 years following the year they cover
Larger establishments in designated industries must submit 300A data electronically

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Sources

Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Educational summary based on federal OSHA standards. State plans may impose stricter requirements. Not legal advice.