When a worker is hurt on your site, a work-related injury or illness meets the general recording criteria if it meets any of the six federal tests below. These tests are defined in federal regulations, specifically 29 CFR § 1904.7, which outlines the general recording criteria for work-related injuries and illnesses. You must consider an injury or illness to meet the general recording criteria, and therefore to be recordable, if it results in any of the following: death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute). These five listed results form the first part of the test. Additionally, you must also consider a case to meet the general recording criteria if it involves a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute). This significant injury test adds a sixth criterion that applies even when the other five do not. The decision is not about the severity of the pain or the cost of the repair; it is about whether the outcome fits one of these six specific categories. If the injury fits any one of these tests, it is recordable. This framework provides a clear, objective standard for contractors who must decide, after someone gets hurt, whether the case goes on the injury log. The goal is consistency and compliance, not judgment based on intuition or company culture. By applying these six tests, you ensure that your records reflect the legal requirements for recording work-related injuries and illnesses.
key takeaways
- Check for death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute).
- Check for a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even without those five results ( Legal Information Institute).
- Use OSHA 300, 300-A, and 301 forms, or equivalent forms, for recordable injuries and illnesses ( Legal Information Institute).
- Enter each recordable case on the OSHA 300 Log and 301 Incident Report within seven calendar days of receiving information that a recordable injury or illness has occurred ( Legal Information Institute).
How to apply the six federal criteria
The core of the recordable injury decision rests on six specific tests derived from federal regulations. The first five tests are listed results that directly indicate a recordable event. These include death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, and loss of consciousness. The regulation states that you must consider an injury or illness to meet the general recording criteria, and therefore to be recordable, if it results in any of these outcomes ( Legal Information Institute). These five criteria identify the outcomes named in the federal rule. The sixth test is the significant injury test. This test applies when a physician or other licensed health care professional diagnoses a significant injury or illness. The regulation clarifies that you must also consider a case to meet the general recording criteria if it involves a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute). This distinction is critical because it captures significant diagnosed injuries or illnesses even without any of the five listed results. Medical treatment beyond first aid meets one of the five listed results; a significant diagnosed injury or illness can independently meet the sixth criterion. The key is to apply these tests strictly. Do not rely on the worker's report alone; verify the outcome against the six criteria. If the worker is away from work for a day, it is recordable. If they are restricted to light duty, it is recordable. If they receive medical treatment beyond first aid, it is recordable. If they lose consciousness, it is recordable. If they die, it is recordable. If a doctor diagnoses a significant injury, it is recordable. This systematic approach ensures that your injury log is accurate and compliant with federal standards.
The five listed results, then the significant-injury test
The federal rule at 29 CFR § 1904.7, published by the Legal Information Institute, states that you must consider an injury or illness to meet the general recording criteria, and therefore to be recordable, if it results in any of the following: death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute). These five outcomes form the core of the general recording criteria.
Beyond these five specific outcomes, the same federal source adds a sixth test. You must also consider a case to meet the general recording criteria if it involves a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute). This means a case can be recordable solely because a licensed professional diagnoses it as significant, regardless of whether the worker returns to work the next day or requires no further treatment.
The supplied Washington State rule names loss of consciousness for any length of time in WAC 296-27-01107, published by the Washington State Legislature ( Washington State Legislature). The Washington rule also requires employers to record any case that involves a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work, job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Washington State Legislature). The significant diagnosed injury or illness criterion therefore applies even without the results named in that Washington provision.
The three forms and the seven calendar days
Once you have determined that an injury or illness is recordable, the federal rules specify which forms to use and when to enter the case on the log and incident report. You must use OSHA 300, 300-A, and 301 forms, or equivalent forms, for recordable injuries and illnesses ( Legal Information Institute). This requirement comes from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, specifically the section titled "29 CFR § 1904.29 - Forms. | Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute." The rule allows for equivalent forms. However, the content must match the federal standards. You cannot simply create a custom log that omits required details. The forms serve as the official record of the incident and the worker's condition.
The seven-calendar-day entry deadline names the OSHA 300 Log and 301 Incident Report. You must enter each recordable injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log and 301 Incident Report within seven (7) calendar days of receiving information that a recordable injury or illness has occurred ( Legal Information Institute). This seven-day entry period starts when you receive that information, not necessarily when the injury happened. If you receive information on Monday that a recordable injury occurred on Friday, the seven days begin on Monday. If you receive that information on Friday, the seven days begin on Friday. This distinction matters for your internal tracking. You should have a process for noting the date you received the report. This date is the anchor for your compliance deadline. For a separate record of daily site activity, see the daily log checklist.
What the software screen asks you to mark
When you open the "Add an Injury/Illness Record to an Incident" page in Procore, the interface presents specific fields designed to capture how the event was handled. One of these fields requires you to select the filing type the person chose to use. The options listed on this screen include Record Only, Refused Care, First Aid, Medically Treated, Restricted Work, Lost Time, and Fatality ( Procore). These categories serve as examples of how a user might categorize the immediate response to an injury or illness. They are not a legal definition of recordability. Selecting "First Aid" or "Medically Treated" does not automatically determine whether the case belongs on the federal injury log. The software field is a data entry point, not a regulatory determination.
Another field on the same screen is a toggle switch. The instruction for this control states: "Click the toggle to the ON position if this injury or illness is legally classified as a recordable incident by a regulatory agency or governing body." ( Procore). This wording is critical. It tells the user to mark the case according to its legal classification. The toggle is a binary flag that reflects that classification. It does not create that status. Turning the toggle ON marks the injury or illness as recordable in the software. The software acts as a record-keeping tool, not a compliance adjudicator.
In practice, this means you must be prepared to explain why you marked the toggle ON or OFF. Your reasoning should be based on the six tests, not on the filing type selected. The filing type is a descriptive label; the toggle is a legal flag. Keeping these concepts distinct helps ensure that your injury log accurately reflects both the medical response and the legal status of each incident. This separation is essential for maintaining a clear and defensible record of jobsite injuries.
Reference table: two publishers and their rules
The table below maps the specific recording criteria and form requirements to their named sources. Each row cites the publisher that prints the rule and the exact language used in that source.
| Publisher | Rule Element | Source Quote |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Information Institute | Five listed results | "You must consider an injury or illness to meet the general recording criteria, and therefore to be recordable, if it results in any of the following: death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness." ( Legal Information Institute) |
| Legal Information Institute | Required forms | "You must use OSHA 300, 300-A, and 301 forms, or equivalent forms, for recordable injuries and illnesses." ( Legal Information Institute) |
| Washington State Legislature | Loss of consciousness | "(e) Loss of consciousness for any length of time." ( Washington State Legislature) |
The Legal Information Institute entry for 29 CFR § 1904.7 lists the five general recording criteria that trigger recordability under federal rules: death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute). This list forms the first five of the six tests discussed in this guide. The same publisher, in the entry for 29 CFR § 1904.29, specifies that you must use OSHA 300, 300-A, and 301 forms, or equivalent forms, for recordable injuries and illnesses ( Legal Information Institute). These are the three forms named in the federal rule.
The Washington State Legislature entry for WAC 296-27-01107 prints the loss of consciousness criterion as "Loss of consciousness for any length of time" ( Washington State Legislature). This supplied wording supports that Washington criterion; it does not establish an identical six-test list for Washington.
Record the test this case met
Use this blank line to record the specific test this case met, the date you learned of it, and who marked it. The federal rule states that an injury or illness is recordable if it results in death, days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness ( Legal Information Institute). Write the exact test from that list that applies to your current case in the first column. Do not leave the cell empty; the entry must match one of the five listed results or the significant-injury test. In the second column, write the date you received information that a recordable injury or illness had occurred. This date anchors the requirement to enter the case on the OSHA 300 Log and the 301 Incident Report within seven calendar days ( Legal Information Institute). In the third column, write the name of the person who marked the case. This ensures accountability for the decision to log the injury. Keep this entry separate from your general daily logs, using the supervisor's daily log checklist for that separate task. The goal is a clear, single-line record that links the specific legal test to the person responsible for the entry.
| Test Met | Date Learned | Marked By |
|---|---|---|
| _ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
Today, use the line above for a case you are reviewing: identify the criterion it meets, record when you received information that it was recordable, and name the person making the entry.
FAQ about recordable jobsite injuries
What are the six tests for a recordable injury?
The six federal criteria are death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, and a significant diagnosed injury or illness ( Legal Information Institute). The sixth test is a significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, which is recordable even if it does not result in any of the five listed outcomes ( Legal Information Institute).
Is first aid alone a recordable injury?
First aid alone does not meet the medical-treatment-beyond-first-aid criterion ( Legal Information Institute). If the only care provided is first aid, the case does not meet that specific recording criterion.
Which forms are named in the rules?
You must use OSHA 300, 300-A, and 301 forms, or equivalent forms, for recordable injuries and illnesses ( Legal Information Institute).
What does the seven-calendar-day deadline require?
You must enter each recordable injury or illness on the OSHA 300 Log and 301 Incident Report within seven calendar days of receiving information that a recordable injury or illness has occurred ( Legal Information Institute).
What does the software recordable switch decide?
The software switch marks recordability; it does not decide the legal classification. The toggle in Add an Injury/Illness Record to an Incident is clicked to the ON position if the injury or illness is legally classified as a recordable incident by a regulatory agency or governing body ( Procore).