Prepare for Q1 with This Year-End Safety Compliance Checklist

Use the last weeks of 2025 to prep your team for early 2026 compliance tasks. This checklist walks you through OSHA log posting, EPA reports, and required training before January ends. It helps safety managers avoid missed deadlines, stay audit-ready, and start Q1 without last-minute scrambles.

What OSHA reports are due in early Q1 and how should you prepare?

You already know deadlines are coming fast, so let’s start with the one most EHS teams face first, OSHA reporting. The first major task is physically posting your OSHA Form 300A between February 1 and April 30. This applies even if you keep electronic records. 

Next is electronic submission. If your site qualifies, you must submit injury data using OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) by March 2. Most employers only submit 300A. But if you’re in a designated high-hazard industry and have 100 or more employees, you also need to submit Forms 300 and 301. 

Once you’ve tackled OSHA’s requirements, it’s time to shift focus to the EPA’s early Q1 environmental reports.

What environmental reports must be submitted to EPA in Q1?

By March 1, many facilities must file two environmental reports:

• The Tier II Chemical Inventory Report, submitted to your SERC, LEPC, and local fire department
• The RCRA Biennial Hazardous Waste Report, due every even-numbered year, for large quantity generators or TSDFs.
• For greenhouse gas emissions, the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program typically requires annual submissions by March 31. However, the EPA did issue a one-time extension for Reporting Year 2024 to May 30, 2025.
  
  Alongside regulatory filings, the end of the year is also the ideal time to address training and testing requirements that reset annually.

What OSHA-required training and testing should be completed before year-end?

OSHA requires annual refreshers for several programs. These often get missed late in the year, which can lead to citations or findings during inspections.

Annual training or testing includes:

• Respiratory protection (fit test and training):  29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2)
• Hearing conservation:  29 CFR 1910.95(k)(2)
• Bloodborne pathogens (BBP):  29 CFR 1910.1030(g)(2)
• Fire extinguisher training and maintenance:  29 CFR 1910.157(e) and (g)
• Lockout/tagout (LOTO) inspections:  29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6)(i)

After confirming your annual safety training, review longer-cycle plans that may still call for updates before year-end.

How can safety teams keep up with year-end EHS tasks?

Closing out the year means juggling OSHA logs, EPA reports, annual training, and documentation, all on tight timelines. For busy safety teams, even one missed deadline can lead to fines, inspection headaches, or compliance gaps heading into Q1.

That’s why so many safety leaders rely on EHS Insight. The platform helps you stay organized with automated task reminders, built-in reporting workflows, and easy access to training records and compliance data. Whether you're in the field or behind a desk, EHS Insight gives you one system to manage it all, on time and audit-ready.

Stop scrambling at the last minute. Start your free trial today to lock in compliance, close out 2025 with confidence, and launch 2026 one step ahead.

FAQ

What OSHA forms must be submitted in early 2026?

Employers must post OSHA Form 300A between February 1 and April 30, 2026. If required, they must also electronically submit 2025 injury data through OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application by March 2, 2026. Some high-hazard industries must submit Forms 300 and 301 as well.

When is the EPA Tier II Chemical Inventory Report due in 2026?

The Tier II Chemical Inventory Report is due by March 1, 2026. Facilities must submit it to their SERC, LEPC, and local fire department under EPCRA §312. This helps emergency planners understand chemical hazards on site.

How often does OSHA require safety training to be refreshed?

Many OSHA programs require annual training or testing. This includes respiratory protection, hearing conservation, bloodborne pathogens, fire extinguisher use, and lockout/tagout inspections. These should be completed before the end of 2025 to stay compliant.

What is the deadline for the EPA’s RCRA Biennial Report in 2026?

Large quantity generators and TSDFs must submit the RCRA Biennial Hazardous Waste Report by March 1, 2026. This applies only in even-numbered years and is required under 40 CFR 262.41.

What’s the best way to manage EHS compliance before Q1?

Use Q4 to organize training logs, update plans, and schedule reports. Many EHS teams rely on digital platforms to track deadlines, post OSHA summaries, and submit EPA reports before January closes.