29 CFR Part 1904 · eCFR edition 2026-01-01
Is this injury OSHA recordable?
Work through the tests in the order the regulation sets them out: work-relatedness, new case, then the general recording criteria. Every answer quotes the provision it rests on, and anything the rule leaves to judgement comes back as needs review rather than a guess.
Incident facts
Describe what happened
Everything runs in your browser. No incident details leave this page.
Did an event or exposure at work cause or contribute to it?
29 CFR 1904.5(a) — the work-relatedness test.
Is this a new case?
1904.6 — or does it continue a case you already recorded?
Does a work-relatedness exception apply?
1904.5(b)(2) — any one of these means the case is not work-related.
General recording criteria · 1904.7(a)
Death
The employee died.
Days away from work
One or more calendar days away, not counting the day of injury.
Restricted work or job transfer
Kept from a routine function, or moved to another job.
Loss of consciousness
Any loss of consciousness, however brief.
Significant diagnosis by a doctor/PLHCP
e.g. cancer, chronic irreversible disease, fractured/cracked bone, punctured eardrum.
What treatment was provided?
The first-aid list at 1904.7(b)(5)(ii) is exhaustive: if a treatment is not on it, it is medical treatment and the case is recordable.
First aid — 1904.7(b)(5)(ii)(A)–(N)
Beyond first aid
Other
Is this one of the specific case types?
1904.8–1904.11 have their own recording rules.
How the determination works
Three tests, run in order
A case is recordable only if it clears all three. Miss any one and it stays off the log — see it worked through in full in our complete guide to what’s OSHA recordable.
- Step 1 · 29 CFR 1904.5
Work-relatedness
Anything in the work environment is presumed work-related unless one of nine specific exceptions applies — the presumption runs in favour of work-relatedness, not against it.
- Step 2 · 29 CFR 1904.6
New case
A flare-up of an existing, unresolved condition generally isn't a fresh case on its own. A recurrence after full recovery, caused by a new work event, is.
- Step 3 · 29 CFR 1904.7
A 1904.7(b) criterion
Death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, or a significant diagnosis. Any one is enough.
Questions
Before you run a case
- Does the tool store the facts I enter?
- No — the free check runs entirely in your browser. Incident facts are employee medical information and never need to leave your machine for the engine to reach a verdict. Saving a determination to a 300 Log is a separate, opt-in step on a Pro account.
- What does "needs review" mean?
- It means the regulation leaves this specific fact genuinely open to judgement, and the engine says so rather than guessing. You'll see exactly what's unresolved and the provision it turns on, so you can make the call with the citation in hand.
- Is a determination from this tool legal advice?
- No. It's an administrative classification aid that applies 29 CFR 1904 to the facts you enter and shows its working. For a contested or consequential case, take advice from a qualified professional.