Records provided for 29 CFR 1910 shall be retained by the employing company for how long?

• A. 3 years
• B. 5 years following the end of year to which they relate
• C. 7 years
• D. 10 years

Answer: (B)

Under OSHA recordkeeping rules, injury and illness records must be kept for five calendar years after the end of the year to which they relate. This applies to the forms used to document incidents (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, Incident Report) and the annual summary. So, records for a given year stay on file through the end of the fifth year after that year ends; for example, 2023 records are kept through 2028. This retention period supports trend analysis, audits, and any required inspections by ensuring the data remains available long enough to identify patterns and verify reporting. Other types of records may have different retention periods, but this five-year rule specifically governs OSHA injury/illness records under 29 CFR 1904.