Medical records of work-related injuries for long-term employees must be kept for a minimum of how many years after the employee leaves?

• A. 5 years
• B. 10 years
• C. 30 years
• D. 50 years

Answer: (C)

Medical records related to work-related injuries need to be kept long enough to cover illnesses or injuries that may become evident many years after exposure. OSHA requires medical records to be kept for the duration of employment plus 30 years, so after an employee leaves, those records must be retained for at least 30 more years. This ensures access for future medical treatment, workers’ compensation claims, and regulatory audits, even for conditions with long latency. That’s why 30 years is the minimum. Five years usually covers short-term records, ten years is not sufficient for latent conditions, and fifty years is more than the standard requirement.