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Special characters in the ITA 300/301 CSV
The User Guide checklist names the characters to keep out of the case file. The rule is stricter for job title and location than for the longer text columns.
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Open the converter| CSV column | Checklist rule | Before | After |
|---|---|---|---|
D job_title | Only alphabetic and numeric characters. No periods, slashes, dashes or colons. | Sr. Welder/Fitter | Sr Welder Fitter |
F incident_location | Only alphabetic and numeric characters. | Bay 2 / press line #4 | Bay 2 press line 4 |
G incident_description | No special characters, for example periods and dashes. | Second-degree burn (right forearm), 2.5 in. wide. | Second degree burn right forearm, 2.5 in wide |
| T to W, the four text answers | File-wide list: ( ) ~ @ # $ % ^ & * ? | Heat & 96% humidity | Heat and 96 percent humidity |
| E, L, M, X, the dates | Forward slashes are allowed in dates. | 02/10/2025 | 02/10/2025 |
Commas and quotes
A value with a comma must be wrapped in double quotes, and a double quote inside a value is doubled. Excel and the converter both do this on save. OSHA's 300A data dictionary gives the example "1, 2, 3 Street".
A caution
OSHA's own sample file has periods, commas and apostrophes in its text columns, so the ITA may be more lenient than the checklist. The converter follows the checklist, with one exception: a period between two digits is a decimal point (2.5), and removing it would change the number, so it is kept. Each cleaned cell is shown as was and now.
Short answers
Which special characters does the OSHA ITA reject?
The User Guide checklist lists ( ) ~ @ # $ % ^ & * ? for the file as a whole and asks for letters and numbers only in job title and incident location.
Sources
- ITA User Guide (last update December 2025)
- ITA CSV Documentation: Establishment and Form 300A data dictionary
- OSHA Form 300/301 CSV sample
Read on 2026-11-10. OSHA can change these documents; the link is the authority. Logmend is an independent information tool. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor, and it is not tax, legal or professional advice.