Hopefully your 2023 is off to a great start, but February is just around the corner already and that means unwanted solicitations threatening fines for non-compliance of posting requirements like OSHA's Form 300 and other labor posters.
First off, anything that’s required to be posted like Minimum Wage, OSHA’s “It’s the Law!” and even Form 300 - Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, is available for free online. You can print posters at the Department of Labor (DOL) at https://www.dol.gov/general/topics/posters/ or OSHA’s content at https://www.osha.gov/publications/poster.
Forms 300, 300A and 301 are a series of forms that documents the location and type of injuries and illnesses that happen in the workplace from the previous year. Most workplaces are required to post this conspicuously for employees to see from February 1st through April 30th annually. Only employers with more than 10 employees throughout the calendar year are required to complete Form 300, 300A.
In addition to the small employer exemption, there's an exemption for establishments classified in certain industries. These industries are usually low-risk or have additional record keeping requirements. These partially exempt industries can be found here:
https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/presentations/exempttable.
Most healthcare and dental facilities are on the exempt list:
| NAICS Code | Industry Description |
| 6211 | Offices of Physicians |
| 6212 | Offices of Dentists |
| 6213 | Offices of Other Healthcare Practitioners |
| 6214 | Outpatient Care Centers |
| 6215 | Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories |
What can be confusing is that although exempt, needlestick injuries and exposures involving other peoples blood are a special criteria on Form 300 and are required to be recorded.
For confidentiality reasons, the employees name should not be listed. Form 300 is rarely requested during an OSHA inspection, but should be kept just in case. Form 300A is the summary of these injuries that is usually displayed from 2/1 - 4/30, but the posting is not required in healthcare and dentistry.
Normally you would record information about every work-related death and about every work-related injury or illness that involves loss of consciousness, restricted work activity or job transfer, days away from work, or medical treatment beyond first aid. You would also record significant work-related injuries and illnesses that are diagnosed by a physician or licensed healthcare professional.
Since January 1, 2015 all employers must report to OSHA severe work-related injuries. All employers must report: All work-related fatalities within 8 hours and all work-related inpatient hospitalizations, all amputations and all losses of an eye within 24 hours. You can report to OSHA by calling OSHA's free and confidential number at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or calling your closest Area Office during normal business hours.
These work-related injury and illness forms are free and very easy to complete. Don't wait any longer to get into OSHA or HIPAA compliance. We provide affordable, common-sense policies and OSHA training specifically for healthcare. If you have questions, please feel free to call us toll-free at 1-800-522-9308.