1910.502(q): Recordkeeping
Key takeaways
- 1910.502(q) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart U).
- OSHA cited it 1 times in the last 3 years, in 1 inspections, with $0 in current penalties.
- Related part: 1910.502(q)(2) Required records (1 citations).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.502(q) ("Recordkeeping") is one requirement inside 1910.502 Healthcare, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart U). It includes 12 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(q) Recordkeeping — 1 citations
(1) Small employer exclusion. Employers with 10 or fewer employees on the effective date of this section are not required to comply with paragraph (q)(2) or (q)(3) of this section.
(2) Required records. Employers with more than 10 employees on the effective date of this section must: Open (q)(2) 1 citations
(i) Retain all versions of the COVID-19 plan implemented to comply with this section while this section remains in effect.
(ii) Establish and maintain a COVID-19 log to record each instance identified by the employer in which an employee is COVID-19 positive, regardless of whether the instance is connected to exposure to COVID-19 at work. Open (q)(2)(ii) 1 citations
(A) The COVID-19 log must contain, for each instance, the employee's name, one form of contact information, occupation, location where the employee worked, the date of the employee's last day at the workplace, the date of the positive test for, or diagnosis of, COVID-19, and the date the employee first had one or more COVID-19 symptoms, if any were experienced.
(B) The information in the COVID-19 log must be recorded within 24 hours of the employer learning that the employee is COVID-19 positive and must be maintained as though it is a confidential medical record and must not be disclosed except as required by this ETS or other federal law.
(C) The COVID-19 log must be maintained and preserved while this section remains in effect.
The COVID-19 log is intended to assist employers with tracking and evaluating instances of employees who are COVID-19 positive without regard to whether those employees were infected at work. The tracking will help evaluate potential workplace exposure to other employees.
(3) Availability of records. By the end of the next business day after a request, the employer must provide, for examination and copying: Open (q)(3)
(i) All versions of the written COVID-19 plan to all of the following: Any employees, their personal representatives, and their authorized representatives.
(ii) The individual COVID-19 log entry for a particular employee to that employee and to anyone having written authorized consent of that employee. Open (q)(3)(ii)
(iii) A version of the COVID-19 log that removes the names of employees, contact information, and occupation, and only includes, for each employee in the COVID-19 log, the location where the employee worked, the last day that the employee was at the workplace before removal, the date of that employee's positive test for, or diagnosis of, COVID-19, and the date the employee first had one or more COVID-19 symptoms, if any were experienced, to all of the following: Any employees, their personal representatives, and their authorized representatives. Open (q)(3)(iii)
(iv) All records required to be maintained by this section to the Assistant Secretary. Open (q)(3)(iv)
Employers must continue to record all work-related confirmed cases of COVID-19 on their OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301, or the equivalent forms, if required to do so under 29 CFR part 1904.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.502.
Where and how often it was cited
Free toolbox talk
A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.502(q), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
- Updated Enforcement Policy for Recording and Reporting of COVID-19 Cases (2026-03-31)
- Enforcement Stay of the COVID-19 Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements under 29 CFR 1910.502 (2025-02-05)
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.502(q)(2) Required records 1 citations
- 1910.502(q)(2)(ii) 1 citations
- 1910.502(q)(3) Availability of records
- 1910.502(q)(3)(ii)
- 1910.502(q)(3)(iii)
- 1910.502(q)(3)(iv)
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.502 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-20
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.
