Grab a Prospect’s Attention With These 9 Common OSHA 300A Summary Mistakes

Employers are required to post the OSHA 300A summary from February to April of each year to maintain OSHA recordkeeping compliance. This is an essential responsibility for employers—but can also be a confusing one. That’s where a good agent comes in: they can remind their clients of these annual requirements, as well as help ensure the data is accurate.

But as you know, many agents only show up once a year to discuss renewal, which means countless employers out there that aren’t getting the support they need. This opens a perfect prospecting opportunity for proactive agents like you.

Few prospects are interested in discussing insurance, but there’s a better chance they’ll listen if you come calling with OSHA recordkeeping advice. Share these tips with the prospect, remind them to post the OSHA 300A annually, and offer to review their records for accuracy. (And of course, be sure to do the same for your valued clients!)

Want to really capture a prospect’s attention? Give them a free license to OSHAlogs. Not only does it vastly simplify their recordkeeping process, it also alerts you as the agent when a safety incident occurred, keeping you tapped into their business even if they haven’t given you the AOR yet. That’s the type of value employers wouldn’t want to give up.

Here are the 9 most common employer mistakes regarding the OSHA 300A summary posting.

1. Failure to post when there are zero incidents

Employers are required to post the Form 300A Summary even if there were no recordable injuries or illnesses. If there are no incidents, simply enter zeroes for the column totals.

2. Not posting the right data at the right time

When posting the 300A, be sure to post last year’s data. For example, the summary totals for cases that occurred in 2022 should be posted from February 1, 2023 to April 30, 2023.

3. Data doesn’t add up

If the number of cases don’t equal the total injury and illness type, the OSHA 300 log may have been completed incorrectly.

Quick Tip: The total number of cases listed on the top left of the OSHA 300A form must match the total number of types listed on the bottom left of that form.

4. Posting the OSHA 300A only on the company intranet

A paper copy of the Form 300A must be posted in a “conspicuous” place where notices to employees are customarily posted. Sharing only online is not sufficient to comply with OSHA guidelines.

5. No signature

Everything on the form may be correct, but the form must be certified and signed by a company executive to comply with OSHA regulations. Make sure not to forget this important step!

6. Signed by the wrong person

The OSHA 300A Summary must be signed by a company executive. The Safety Manager or Human Resources Generalist normally does not qualify as a company executive, which is where this common error occurs.

A company executive can be:

• A company owner
• An officer of the corporation
• The highest ranking official at that location
• The supervisor of the highest ranking official

7. Posting one OSHA 300A that covers multiple establishments

Employers must prepare an OSHA 300A summary for each establishment (location) they operate in. An establishment is a single physical location where business is conducted, services performed, or operations housed.

8. Posting the wrong form

Employers must post the OSHA 300A summary to comply with OSHA regulations. The OSHA 300 log should not be posted as it contains confidential information such as the injured employee’s name, the type of injury, the number of lost or restricted work days, etc.

9. Confusing the OSHA 300A posting and electronic submission

Many employers are required to also electronically submit OSHA 300A data to OSHA directly. This does not eliminate the need for these employers to post the 300A in paper format. Every company must post the 300A paper form!