What this is
What is a vaccination record?
What is a vaccination record?
A vaccination record documents which vaccinations were offered to a worker because of a work-related biological exposure risk, whether the worker accepted or declined, and each dose given against that decision. It is a record of an occupational health control being applied, not a general medical history.
Who decides which vaccinations are offered?
Occupational health, from the exposure risk that justifies the offer: hepatitis A for effluent and drainage work, hepatitis B for exposure to blood or infectious material, tetanus where lacerations are a recognised risk, zoonotic cover where livestock contact occurs. The offer follows the risk, and the record should show which risk it was.
What happens if a worker declines?
The decline is recorded without a reason being demanded. Vaccination under an exposure control standard is a right the worker is offered, not an obligation, and the record exists to show the offer was made and understood, not to justify the refusal. A worker who declines can request the vaccination later, at no cost, if they change their mind.
Scope
When is a vaccination record required?
This record is one step in the Occupational Health Surveillance programme, covering only the offer, decision and administration of vaccination against an identified work-related risk. It is not a general immunisation record and not a substitute for the assessment that identified the exposure.
Use this template when
- A role or task carries a work-related biological exposure risk that a specific vaccination addresses
- A worker is newly assigned to that role and the offer has not yet been made
- A dose in a multi-dose course, or a booster, needs to be recorded against an existing offer
- A worker's protection status needs updating, including a titre check result
- A worker who previously declined has changed their mind and now wants the vaccination
Do not use it for
- Health Surveillance Plan, which decides which workers need which health checks and how often, upstream of any single offer.
- Pre-Placement Health Assessment, which assesses fitness for a role's physical demands, not vaccination status.
- Dermatitis Risk Assessment and other exposure-specific assessments, which address a different hazard route entirely.
- Health Referral Record, which is the specialist referral itself once a clinical concern arises, not the offer.
- Anything outside KnowHealth, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process.
Compliance mapping
Which OSHA 1910.1030 requirements does this satisfy?
OSHA 1910.1030(f) sets out the Hepatitis B vaccination requirement closely enough that the record follows its shape: an offer at no cost, information before the decision, a declination asking for nothing beyond a signature, and administration tracked as a course.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 1910.1030(f)(2) | Vaccination made available after training, based on a documented occupational exposure | Header |
| OSHA 1910.1030(g)(2) | Information on efficacy, safety, benefits and method of administration provided before the offer is accepted or declined | Offer and consent |
| OSHA 1910.1030(f)(2)(iv) | Employee who declines signs a declination statement; no justification required, and the offer can be renewed later at no cost | Offer and consent |
| OSHA 1910.1030(f)(2) | Vaccination given as a course, dosed and dated, by a person recorded as having administered it | Administration |
| OSHA 1910.1030(f)(4) | Booster doses made available where recommended, and tracked against the initial course | Administration |
| OSHA 1910.1030(h)(1) | Vaccination and medical records kept confidential, with the employer informed of status only | Status |
What it does not cover
- Pre-Placement Health Assessment, which establishes fitness for a role's physical demands and is not a vaccination decision.
- Periodic Health Assessment, the scheduled general health check for a specific exposure, not the vaccination offer itself.
- Health Surveillance Plan, which sets the programme this record is one instance of, rather than executing it.
- Exposure Incident Record, which covers a specific exposure event such as a needlestick and the clinical pathway that follows it.
- A general training record, since attending an information session about vaccination is not the same as the offer, decision and administration tracked here.
Global
Vaccination Record requirements by country
Vaccination as a workplace control is specified in most detail in the United States, where the bloodborne pathogens standard names the offer, declination and recordkeeping duty. Elsewhere the duty sits inside a broader health surveillance obligation rather than a dedicated vaccination clause.
OSHA 1910.1030(f), Bloodborne Pathogens standard
Hepatitis B vaccination made available at no cost within 10 working days of assignment; declination requires a signed statement but no reason.
The standard is prescriptive enough that a missing risk basis, a demanded reason, or an untracked booster are each a nameable gap rather than a matter of judgement.
COSHH 2002, regulation 11, and HSE guidance on immunisation
Health surveillance duties extend to immunisation where a risk assessment identifies exposure to a biological agent for which an effective vaccine exists.
The duty is framed through the exposure assessment rather than a standalone vaccination clause, so the record's link back to the risk basis carries real weight.
ISO 45001:2018, clauses 5.4 and 8.1.2
Vaccination sits within the hierarchy of controls as an administrative or medical measure, and worker consultation applies to the decision to offer it.
Certification auditors look for the consultation and consent trail rather than for vaccination specifically, since the standard does not name it.
How to complete it
How to complete a vaccination record, step by step
The clinical steps rarely go wrong. What determines whether the record holds up is the reasoning around the offer, the decline, and the course.
The offer should trace to a specific work-related risk, ideally linked to the risk assessment that identified it, rather than a generic assumption that a role type always gets a particular vaccination. A record showing the risk basis survives a question about why the offer was made at all.
Information provided, voluntary nature explained, and a decision recorded, whatever the answer. A decline should never carry a reason field the worker was required to complete, and alternative controls discussed with someone who declines should be recorded as a separate step.
Dose number, date given and who administered it are the easy part. Course complete status and booster due dates are what lapse, because nothing forces a return to the record once the first dose is given. A titre check, where relevant, should close the loop rather than assuming the course worked.
The employer needs to know whether someone is protected, partially protected, or not protected, and nothing else. A record where more than that reached the manager, the reason for a decline or a titre result, has failed the confidentiality boundary regardless of how the vaccination went.
What auditors find
Most common vaccination record findings
Vaccination records tend to exist and to be clinically accurate. The recurring findings sit in the reasoning around the record, not the dates.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Vaccination offered with no documented work-related risk basis. | OSHA 1910.1030(f)(2) | Complete the risk basis field and link the risk assessment before the offer is recorded as made. |
| Decline recorded alongside a reason the worker was asked to give. | OSHA 1910.1030(f)(2)(iv) | Record the decline as of right; remove any expectation that a reason accompanies it. |
| Course started but never confirmed complete, or booster due date left blank. | OSHA 1910.1030(f)(4) | Set the booster due date at the point the first dose is recorded, not deferred to a later review. |
| Protection status assumed complete without a titre check where one is expected. | Standard-specific | Complete the titre check field explicitly, including where it is judged not required, rather than leaving it blank. |
| Manager record shows more than a fitness or protection outcome. | OSHA 1910.1030(h)(1) | Restrict what reaches the manager to status only, and audit access to the underlying record. |
| Consent to share status with the employer not obtained or not recorded. | OSHA 1910.1030(h)(1) | Capture explicit consent before status reaches management, and record its withdrawal if it happens. |
Case in point
Case in point: the course nobody chased
A wastewater treatment worker was offered hepatitis A vaccination on assignment, accepted, and received the first dose on schedule. The record showed dose one, date given, and administered by, all correctly entered. The booster due field was left blank, because the form did not require it to complete the record as submitted.
Fourteen months later, at a periodic health review, occupational health found the course had never been followed up. The worker had continued in the same exposure the whole time, believing themselves protected on a single dose. The record was accurate as far as it went; it stopped being maintained after the part that was easy to complete.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
4 sections
- Reference
- HLT-014
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- VAC-2026-000
- Scoring
- Not scored
- Direction
- n/a
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- OSHA 1910.1030
- Links
- Links Worker
- Tags
- Health, Biological
- Sections
- 4
- Fields
- 35
- Follow up fields
- 2
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 3
Header
16 fieldsRecord ID*
Auto sequence. Format VAC-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Completed By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Worker*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
Record Confidentiality
Clinical detail stays with occupational health. Management receives a fitness outcome and any restrictions, never a diagnosis. Restrict access to this template accordingly.
Clinical Detail Held Separately*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Access Restricted To Occupational Health*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Worker Consent Obtained*
Consent to share the fitness outcome with the employer. Withdrawal is the worker's right.
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Offered, Never Required
Vaccination is offered where a work related risk exists. It is voluntary, declining carries no penalty, and the record holds status only, not medical history.
Vaccination Programme*
Hepatitis A for effluent and drainage work, tetanus for laceration risk, seasonal influenza, or zoonotic where livestock contact occurs.
Work Related Risk Basis*
Risk ID
Links to FDN-012 Risk ID
Offer and consent
6 fieldsVaccination Offered*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Information Provided*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Voluntary Nature Explained*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Worker Decision*
- Accepted3 pts
- Declined2 pts
- Already protected3 pts
Decline Recorded Without Reason Required
- Yes3 pts
- Reason demanded0 pts
Alternative Controls Explained
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Administration
Repeats5 fieldsDose Number*
Date Given*
Administered By*
Course Complete
- Yes3 pts
- In progress1 pt
- No0 pts
Booster Due
Status
8 fieldsProtection Status*
- Protected3 pts
- Partially protected1 pt
- Not protected0 pts
- Unknown0 pts
Titre Check Done
- Yes3 pts
- Not required3 pts
- No1 pt
Next Action Due
Manager Informed Of Status Only*
Whether they are protected. Not what was given or why they declined.
- Yes3 pts
- More was shared0 pts
Occupational Health*
Signature*
Worker*
Second Signature*
HLT-014 · record IDs look like VAC-2026-000 · Links Worker
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The offer and decision are usually made correctly in the moment. What slips is the follow-up: the booster nobody scheduled, status drifting to the wrong audience, a course stalled at dose one.
Holds the vaccination record against the risk basis that justified it, flags courses left incomplete, and keeps booster and titre-check due dates live rather than assumed.
Connects the offer back to the risk assessment that identified the exposure, so a vaccination programme traces to a stated risk rather than a role assumption.
Tracks the information requirement behind a valid offer, so acceptance or decline is preceded by a recorded explanation of efficacy, safety and alternatives.
Watches for status drifting beyond a fitness outcome into management view, and raises a booster or titre check as it falls due rather than waiting for it to surface later.
This template lives in KnowHealth — employee wellbeing. Exposure monitoring, health surveillance, case management and return to work.
Meet KnowHealth→Glossary
Vaccination Record definitions and key terms
- Work-related risk basis
- The specific occupational exposure that justifies offering a vaccination, distinct from a general assumption tied to job title alone.
- Declination statement
- A signed record that a worker has been offered and declined a vaccination, required to ask for a signature but not a reason.
- Titre check
- A blood test measuring antibody level, used to confirm a course has produced protection rather than assuming it from the dose record alone.
- Protection status
- The outcome communicated to the employer: protected, partially protected, or not protected, without the clinical basis behind it.
- Course complete
- Confirmation that every dose in a multi-dose vaccination schedule has been given, tracked separately from whether the first dose was given.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about vaccination record
Is vaccination mandatory for a role with biological exposure risk?+
No. It is offered because the role carries a risk a vaccination addresses, but the decision belongs to the worker. Declining carries no penalty and no requirement to give a reason; the record shows the offer was made properly, not that it was accepted.
What happens if a worker declines?+
The decline is recorded, with confirmation that information was provided and the voluntary nature explained. No reason is required. Alternative controls should be discussed and recorded separately, and the worker can request the vaccination at any later point at no cost.
Who can see the vaccination record?+
Clinical detail stays with occupational health. The employer receives a protection status only: protected, partially protected, or not protected. The reason behind a decline and any titre result are never shared with management.
What if a worker changes their mind after declining?+
The vaccination remains available at no cost on the same terms as the original offer. A prior decline does not close the door, and the record should be updated to reflect the new decision.
How is the decision to offer a vaccination made?+
From a documented work-related risk: exposure to blood or infectious material, laceration risk, effluent or drainage work, or livestock contact, among others. The offer should link back to the specific risk rather than a general job category.
Does a completed course need any further follow-up?+
Often yes. Boosters may be due on a schedule, and a titre check may be needed to confirm protection rather than assume it. Both should be tracked on the record when the first dose is given, not left for a later review to notice they are missing.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Occupational Health Surveillance
Similar Exposure Group Register
Groups workers who share the same tasks, agents and exposure patterns
Qualitative Exposure Assessment
Rates likely exposure using professional judgement, task knowledge and existing data, before any sampling
Personal Air Sampling Record
Records a sample taken from a worker's breathing zone over a shift
Area Monitoring Record
Records fixed point sampling in a work area rather than on a person
Noise Dosimetry Record
Records a worker's noise exposure over a full shift using a personal dosimeter
Chemical Exposure Assessment
Assesses exposure to a specific chemical across the tasks where it is used
More in Health Surveillance
Health Surveillance Plan
Sets out which workers need which health checks, how often and why
Pre-Placement Health Assessment
Assesses whether a worker can safely perform the physical demands of a role, before they start
Periodic Health Assessment
A scheduled health check for workers exposed to specific hazards
Exit Health Assessment
Records a worker's health status when they leave a role with hazardous exposure
Health Referral Record
Records a referral to occupational health, with the reason and what is being asked
Health Surveillance Compliance Review
Checks that scheduled health assessments are actually happening on time
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- OSHA 1910.1030(f) — Bloodborne pathogens, Hepatitis B vaccination
- OSHA 1910.1020 — Access to employee exposure and medical records
- COSHH 2002 (SI 2002/2677), regulation 11, and HSE guidance on immunisation
- ISO 45001:2018, clauses 5.4 and 8.1.2
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.