Logmend / Reference
Date and time format in the ITA CSV
Dates go in as mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy. Times go in as hours and minutes.
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Open the converter| Column | Format in the specification | Example |
|---|---|---|
date_of_incident | mm-dd-yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy, length 10 | 11/23/2025 |
date_of_birth | mm-dd-yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy | 04/09/1988 |
date_of_hire | mm-dd-yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy | 08/03/2015 |
date_of_death | mm-dd-yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy, only for a death | 08/11/2025 |
time_started_work | Time (hh:mm), 24-hour, length 5, optional | 17:30 |
time_of_incident | Time (hh:mm), 24-hour, length 5, optional | 17:30 |
time_unknown | 1 if unknown, otherwise blank | 1 |
Where OSHA's documents disagree
The CSV specification says times are 24-hour hh:mm and gives 17:30. OSHA's sample file uses 8:00 and 20:15. The User Guide checklist says to format the two time columns in Excel as "h:mm AM/PM" and warns that Excel often adds seconds. The converter writes 24-hour hh:mm with a leading zero, which is what the specification states. If the ITA turns a time down, the two time columns are optional and can be left blank with time_unknown set to 1 when the time of the event is not known.
Excel traps
| What you typed | What Excel saves in the CSV | What the ITA wants |
|---|---|---|
| 2/10 (as on the paper log) | 10-Feb, with the current year behind it | 02/10/2025 |
| 2025-02-10 | 2025-02-10 or 2/10/2025, by locale | 02/10/2025 |
| 7:30 AM | 7:30:00 AM | 07:30 |
| 0730 | 730 | 07:30 |
| Date cell shown as a number | 45698 | 02/10/2025 |
Date of birth is not kept
OSHA says the ITA converts every date of birth to the first of the month and keeps the age, not the birth date. A date entered as 08/11/1987 shows as 8/1/1987.
Short answers
What date format does the OSHA ITA CSV use?
mm/dd/yyyy or mm-dd-yyyy, for example 11/23/2025.
Does the ITA use 24-hour time?
The CSV specification says 24-hour hh:mm, for example 17:30. The time columns are optional.
Sources
- DOL OSHA ITA Case Data CSV Specifications, version 1.5 (1-29-2025)
- ITA User Guide (last update December 2025)
- OSHA Form 300/301 CSV sample
- OSHA ITA Frequently Asked Questions
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.