How OSHA's 30-year retention rule works
The federal record-retention duty for employee exposure and medical records lives in 29 CFR 1910.1020 — Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records. It does two things: it gives employees (and OSHA) a right to access these records, and it sets how long employers must preserve them. The periods are long because occupational disease can take decades to appear.
- Employee medical records must be kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)). The 30-year clock starts when the employee separates.
- Employee exposure records — air monitoring, sampling, biological monitoring results — must be kept for at least 30 years(1910.1020(d)(1)(ii)).
- Any analysis using exposure or medical records must be kept 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)(iii)), even if the underlying individual records are stored elsewhere.
OSHA record retention periods
Verified against the eCFR text of 29 CFR 1910.1020. Enter your dates in the calculator above to get an exact retain-until date.
| Record | Retention period | CFR |
|---|---|---|
| Employee medical record | Duration of employment + 30 years | 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(i) |
| Employee exposure record (monitoring/sampling) | 30 years | 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(ii) |
| Analysis using exposure or medical records | 30 years | 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(iii) |
| SDS kept as the exposure record | 30 years (or keep an identity/where/when substitute) | 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(ii)(B) |
| Background data for monitoring (lab worksheets) | 1 year (if results + method + summary kept 30 yr) | 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(ii)(A) |
| First-aid record (minor, one-time) | No specified period if made on-site by a non-physician and kept separately; otherwise employment + 30 years | 29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(i)(B) |
| OSHA 300 / 300A / 301 logs | 5 years after the covered year | 29 CFR 1904.33 |
The three exceptions that trip people up
- The <1-year medical exception. The medical records of an employee who worked less than one year need not be retained beyond the term of employment if they are provided to the employee upon termination (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)(C)). Keep proof of delivery — otherwise the full duration-plus-30-year rule applies.
- The SDS substitute record. You do not have to keep every Safety Data Sheet for 30 years. Instead of the SDS, you may keep a record of the chemical identity (or ingredients), where it was used, and when(1910.1020(d)(1)(ii)(B)). That substitute record is then the 30-year exposure record.
- First-aid records have a conditional exception. Records of one-time treatment and observation of minor scratches, cuts, burns, and splinters that do not involve medical treatment, loss of consciousness, work restriction, or job transfer need not be retained for any specified period, but only if they were made on-site by a non-physician and are kept separately from the employer's medical program and its records (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)(B)). Otherwise they are medical records: employment plus 30 years.
Worked examples
Welder hired Jan 1, 2010, separated June 15, 2020 — medical record. Duration of employment + 30 years means the 30-year clock starts at separation: retain through June 15, 2050 (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)).
Air-sampling result created March 10, 2024 — exposure record. A flat 30 years from creation: retain through March 10, 2054(1910.1020(d)(1)(ii)).
Temp worker, 7 months of service, medical record handed to them at exit. Because tenure was under one year and the records were provided to the employee at termination, the 30-year duty does not apply (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)(C)) — keep proof of delivery.
What the 30-year rule does NOT cover
It is a common myth that every safety record needs 30 years. 29 CFR 1910.1020 applies only to employee exposure and medical records (scope at 1910.1020(b)(2)). Toolbox-talk sign-ins, inspection checklists, JHAs, and confined-space or hot-work permits are not governed by it. The OSHA 300 Log, 300A summary, and 301 forms follow 29 CFR 1904.33 — 5 years after the covered calendar year — and HazCom sets no retention period for training records (29 CFR 1926.59 (adopts 29 CFR 1910.1200)).
What to do next
- Transfer-of-records rule. If you go out of business, transfer exposure and medical records to the successor employer; if there is none, notify affected current employees of their access rights at least three months before ceasing business (1910.1020(h)).
- Keep them accessible. Employees and their designated reps can request access; you generally must provide it within 15 working days (1910.1020(e)(1)).
- Build the full schedule. Use the Records Retention Schedule builder to produce a one-page, audit-ready schedule across every record type.
Frequently asked questions
How long must I keep an employee's exposure monitoring record?
At least 30 years. Under 29 CFR 1910.1020, employee exposure records (such as air-monitoring and sampling results) must be preserved and maintained for at least 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)(ii)).
How long must employee medical records be retained?
For the duration of employment PLUS 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)). The 30-year clock runs from the date the employee separates. There is a narrow exception for employees who worked less than one year: their medical records need not be kept beyond the term of employment if those records are provided to the employee upon termination (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)(C)).
Do first-aid records have to be kept for 30 years?
Not always. Records of one-time treatment and observation of minor injuries (scratches, cuts, burns, splinters) that do not involve medical treatment, loss of consciousness, work restriction, or job transfer need not be retained for any specified period only if they were made on-site by a non-physician and are kept separately from the employer's medical program and its records (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)(B)). Otherwise they are part of the employee medical record, kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)).
Do I have to keep every Safety Data Sheet for 30 years?
Not necessarily. An SDS kept as the exposure record may be retained for 30 years, OR you may keep a substitute record of the chemical identity, where it was used, and when it was used in place of the SDS (1910.1020(d)(1)(ii)(B)). That substitute record is then the 30-year exposure record.
Does the 30-year rule cover all of my safety paperwork?
No — this is a common myth. 29 CFR 1910.1020 applies only to employee EXPOSURE and MEDICAL records (scope at 1910.1020(b)(2)). Toolbox-talk sign-ins, inspection checklists, JHAs, and confined-space or hot-work permits are not covered. OSHA 300/301 injury-and-illness logs follow 29 CFR 1904 (5 years), and 1910.1200 sets no retention period for HazCom training records.
How long do I keep an analysis that uses exposure or medical records?
At least 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)(iii)). Any analysis using exposure or medical records must be preserved for 30 years, even if the underlying individual records are stored separately.
Sources & verification
- 29 CFR 1910.1020 — Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records (eCFR)
- 29 CFR 1904.33 — Retention and updating (OSHA 300/300A/301)
OSHA citations verified 2026-10-05. This calculator is an estimate for planning only — it is not legal advice and not a substitute for the text of the standard. State-Plan states may set different rules.
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