When the OSHA Form 300A summary must be posted

Form 300A summarizes the work-related injuries and illnesses recorded for an establishment during the previous calendar year. The timing is fixed. Under OSHA's recordkeeping rule, a covered employer posts the certified summary where employee notices are customarily displayed from February 1 through April 30. Those dates apply to the prior year's summary.

The annual sequence

1. At year end, review the OSHA Form 300 log for completeness and accuracy.
2. Prepare Form 300A or an equivalent annual summary for each covered establishment.
3. Have a company executive certify that the summary is true, accurate, and complete.
4. Post the summary from February 1 through April 30 in a conspicuous place where notices to employees are customarily posted.
5. Retain the required injury and illness records for the applicable retention period.

Who signs the certification

The summary must be certified by a company executive: the owner, an officer of the corporation, the highest-ranking company official working at the establishment, or that official's immediate supervisor. The certification confirms the information is true, accurate, and complete to the best of the signer’s knowledge. The person responsible for completing the log is not automatically the required certifying executive.

Posting and electronic submission are different duties

Posting the annual summary makes it available to employees at the establishment. Electronic submission sends specified injury and illness data to OSHA's Injury Tracking Application for certain covered establishments. Employers should analyze both obligations and their scope. Meeting the online submission requirement does not replace the February-through-April workplace posting duty.

Exemptions and scope

Not every employer is required to keep routine OSHA injury and illness records. Small-employer and industry exemptions may apply, but they have defined conditions, and certain severe-event reporting duties continue. Check 29 CFR Part 1904 and OSHA's current guidance for the employer's size, industry classification, and establishment facts before assuming an exemption applies.

Exam traps

• Posting for only one month instead of the full February 1 through April 30 period.
• Posting the current year's summary rather than the preceding year's annual data.
• Having a safety manager sign instead of an eligible company executive.
• Confusing Form 300A posting with electronic submission.
• Assuming an exemption from routine recordkeeping removes every severe-injury reporting obligation.

Key takeaway

For a covered employer, complete and certify the prior-year summary, then post it February 1 through April 30. Keep that display duty separate from electronic reporting and record retention.

The annual summary has a defined display window

Covered employers must post the OSHA Form 300A annual summary from February 1 through April 30 for the preceding calendar year, in a place where employee notices are customarily displayed. The summary is not the same as the detailed OSHA Form 300 log. Form 300A summarizes annual totals such as cases, days away, restricted or transferred days, and injury/illness categories. The employer must ensure it is complete and certified by a company executive before posting. Confirm the applicable recordkeeping rules and any industry, size, or state-plan requirements rather than assuming every employer follows an identical process.

Prepare and certify the figures carefully

The employer reviews the OSHA 300 log for the calendar year and transfers the totals to Form 300A. A company executive—such as an owner, officer, highest-ranking official at the establishment, or the highest-ranking supervisor working at the establishment—must certify that the summary is true, accurate, and complete to the best of that person’s knowledge. This certification is a real review step, not a clerical signature. Resolve inconsistent case classifications, missing days, duplicate entries, or open questions before posting. If a record is corrected later, maintain the records and follow OSHA’s procedures for corrections and retention.

Post where employees can see it

The summary must be displayed where notices to employees are customarily posted and remain accessible throughout the required period. In a multi-site business, determine establishment-specific duties and make sure the correct summary reaches the right location. If workers do not regularly visit a central office, use a posting method that actually reaches them and complies with the rule. Electronic access may supplement communication, but do not assume that an intranet alone replaces physical posting where OSHA requires a posting. Keep a record of when the summary was posted and removed, who verified it, and where it was displayed.

Keep the annual recordkeeping calendar

A practical compliance calendar sets a year-end close date, a review of Form 300 entries, a deadline for executive certification, the February 1 posting start, and the April 30 end date. Assign a backup person so the task does not depend on one employee being available. Coordinate with payroll, safety, and site management for accurate case and day counts, while protecting employee privacy. Certain employers also have electronic submission duties based on size, industry, and current OSHA rules; posting Form 300A is separate from those submissions. Check the current rule and submission instructions for the relevant year.

Common errors and exam distinctions

Common errors include posting the detailed log instead of the annual summary, using the wrong calendar year, missing the certification, posting outside the required period, or displaying the summary where employees cannot reasonably find it. Another mistake is to treat the summary as the only recordkeeping obligation. Form 300A posting, maintaining required records, reporting severe incidents, and electronic submission are separate responsibilities with different triggers and deadlines. On an exam, remember the window—February 1 to April 30—and the company executive certification requirement. If the question concerns a different report or a severe injury notification, identify that rule separately rather than applying the annual-summary deadline.

Who is covered and what the summary does not replace

OSHA recordkeeping coverage includes exemptions and special rules, so the employer should determine whether the establishment is required to keep routine injury and illness records. Some small employers and certain low-hazard industries may be partially exempt from routine recording, while severe-event reporting and other OSHA duties can still apply. A state-plan jurisdiction may impose requirements that differ from federal OSHA. Form 300A also does not disclose employee names from privacy-case entries; use the appropriate privacy-case treatment in the detailed log and summary process. For an exam scenario, read whether the employer is covered, whether the question asks about annual posting, electronic submission, or event reporting, and apply that rule’s trigger.

Record the handoff and removal date

At the end of April, remove the summary from the posting location and retain the underlying records for the applicable retention period. Record who removed it and where the supporting log and certification are stored. If employees work at multiple establishments, make sure each site’s posting is completed and documented rather than assuming a headquarters posting reaches everyone. This small closeout step helps demonstrate that the employer observed the full posting window and can retrieve the records during an inspection.