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As February begins to wind down, the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL’s) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) wants to remind employers of their obligations regarding workplace injury and illness reporting. Specifically, many employers must submit workplace injury and illness information electronically by March 2nd, 2026. Notably, workplace safety regulations are enforced by OSHA and regulated under the OSH Act. Among the many rules within the OSH Act, most employers and their safety programs must comply with the General Duty Clause. Earlier, in December 2025, OSHA issued seven letters of interpretation addressing workplace safety programs and requirements.
What Is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)?
Overall, OSHA's mission is to assure America's workers have safe and healthful working conditions. Additionally, workplaces must be free from unlawful retaliation. According to the agency, it carries out its mission by:
- setting and enforcing workplace safety standards;
- enforcing anti-retaliation provisions of the OSH Act and other federal whistleblower laws;
- providing and supporting training, outreach, education, and assistance on workplace safety programs; and
- working collaboratively with state OSHA programs, ensuring that they are at least as effective as federal OSHA.
Finally, the OSH Act covers safety requirements for most private sector employers and their workers. These requirements are made available to prevent workplace injury and illness. The Act also covers some public sector employers and workers in the 50 states, certain territories, and federal jurisdictions.
What Is the General Duty Clause?
As noted earlier, the OSH Act establishes and enforces workplace safety and health standards. In doing so, it ensures safe and healthy working conditions for men and women. Notably, the “General Duty Clause” requires that all employers:
- shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees; and
- shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.
In compliance with the OSH Act’s General Duty Clause and to avoid OSHA safety violations and costly litigation, employers should recognize and fix common workplace hazards. On a small scale, these common workplace hazards could include blocked exit routes, trip hazards, and unstable stacked items.
What Information Must Be Submitted Electronically by March 1?
Accordingly, under OSHA regulations, covered employers must electronically submit their required OSHA reporting and recordkeeping forms by March 2. Normally, the due date would be March 1. However, in 2026, that date falls on a Sunday, so the next weekday is used.
Markedly, the following forms must all be submitted through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA):
- OSHA Form 300: Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
- OSHA Form 300A: Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
- OSHA Form 301: Injury and Illness Incident Report
Comparatively, covered employers can either:
- Manually enter data into the ITA via a web form,
- Upload a CSV file to the ITA, or
- Transmit data electronically via an API (application programming interface).
Which Businesses Must Comply with the March 1 Injury and Illness Electronic Deadline?
Generally, employers are required to comply with the March 1 Injury and Illness reporting deadline if they fall under one of three designations:
- They had 250 or more employees at any time during the previous calendar year and are required to keep OSHA injury and illness records.
- They had at least 20 employees at any time during the previous calendar year and operate in industries that OSHA has previously identified as having a higher rate of occupational injury and illness. For example, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, social assistance, warehousing, transportation, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting are considered high-risk industries.
Employer Takeaways
In conclusion, as mentioned previously, covered employers must electronically submit their OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301 by March 2nd, 2026. Consequently, failure to comply with OSHA injury and illness reporting requirements may result in citations or penalties. To avoid technical issues or delays in reporting, employers should submit their data as early as possible before the deadline. Any company that is unsure whether it is required by OSHA to report its records electronically should consult its legal counsel as soon as possible.
Finally, to assist employers in maintaining compliance with various OSHA standards, WorkWise Compliance offers the following:
OSHA General Industry Safety Training Program for Employees – This online, interactive eLearning program provides a clear, engaging, and easy-to-understand training experience that covers key OSHA principles, the General Duty Clause, reporting requirements, and employee protections. Designed specifically for OSHA general industry, the course ensures employees understand OSHA general industry standards and their rights under federal law.
