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Sharps injury log template, ready to print
Enter your business name and year to get a landscape log with the fields 29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(5) requires, plus a case number column that keeps names out of the log.
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Sharps Injury Log
- Business
- ____________________
- Year
- ____________________
Record every injury from a contaminated sharp. Do not write the injured employee's name here: use a case number and keep the key to it in the confidential medical records. Keep the log for the period 29 CFR 1904.33 requires (five years after the end of the year it covers).
| Case no. | Date | Type and brand of device | Department or work area | How the incident occurred | Follow-up taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fields 1910.1030(h)(5) requires
- The type and brand of device involved in the incident
- The department or work area where the exposure incident occurred
- An explanation of how the incident occurred
The log below adds a case number, a date and a follow-up column.
What goes in a sharps injury log
A sharps injury log records every percutaneous injury (a piercing or cut of the skin) from a contaminated sharp: a needle, blade, lancet or piece of broken glass that had blood or other infectious material on it. Under 29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(5) it must contain, at a minimum, the type and brand of the device involved, the department or work area where the exposure happened, and an explanation of how the incident occurred.
The log has to be kept so the injured employee's privacy is protected, which is why this one uses a case number instead of a name. Keep the key that matches case numbers to employees in the confidential medical records, not on the log.
Who must keep one
The sharps injury log requirement applies to any employer who is required to keep a log of occupational injuries and illnesses under 29 CFR Part 1904, the OSHA 300 log. Many small employers are exempt from that recordkeeping: employers with 10 or fewer employees, and employers in certain low-hazard industries listed in Part 1904, are partially exempt. If you are exempt you are not required to keep a sharps injury log.
Check Part 1904 and your state's rules to see whether you must keep one. Many studios, salons and clinics keep a log anyway, because it shows how injuries happen and feeds the yearly review of safer devices.
How long to keep it
The log must be kept for the period 29 CFR 1904.33 requires for OSHA records: five years following the end of the calendar year the log covers. A new year starts a new log.
Use it to improve the plan
Each entry is a lesson. If the same device appears again and again, the yearly review of safer devices is the place to ask whether a needle with a shield, a retractable blade or a different method would remove the risk, and to write down what employees said about it. The written Exposure Control Plan is where that review is recorded. Gloveplan's plan builder includes a record for it.
Source: 29 CFR 1910.1030 on osha.gov.
FAQ
Common questions
Do small businesses need a sharps injury log?
Only if you must keep OSHA 300 injury and illness records. Employers with 10 or fewer employees, and employers in industries Part 1904 lists as partially exempt, generally do not have to. Check Part 1904 and your state plan. Keeping a log voluntarily does no harm.
What fields does a sharps injury log need?
At a minimum, under 29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(5)(ii): the type and brand of the device involved, the department or work area where the exposure incident occurred, and an explanation of how the incident occurred. The log on this page also has a case number, a date and a follow-up column.
Is this legal advice?
No. Gloveplan is a document tool, not legal or safety advice. Check Part 1904 and your state's rules for your workplace.
What if nobody was ever injured?
Then the log stays empty for the year. Keep the blank log with your records so it is easy to start if an injury happens.
Should I write the employee's name?
No. Use a case number and keep the key to it in the confidential medical records.
Are my entries stored?
No. The business name and year are used on your device to print the PDF, and the log is a blank form you fill in by hand. Nothing is sent to our server.
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Need the whole written plan too?
The log is one record. The plan explains the whole program: who is exposed, how sharps are handled, what happens after an injury and when the plan is reviewed. Build yours free to preview.