OSHA requirements Overview

 What Is OSHA?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency responsible for ensuring safe and healthy working conditions by setting and enforcing standards.

If you’re in construction, you must follow OSHA’s 29 CFR 1926 regulations, which are legally enforceable and apply to almost every construction jobsite in the U.S.

Under OSHA law, employers must:

• Provide a workplace free from recognized hazards
• Comply with all applicable OSHA standards
• Display the OSHA "It's the Law" poster
• Report fatalities within 8 hours, and hospitalizations, amputations, or eye loss within 24 hours
• Provide and ensure the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Train workers in a language they understand
• Keep accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses

The most cited—and most critical—standards include:

• Fall Protection (1926.501) 
• Scaffolding (1926.451)
• Ladders (1926.1053)
• Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
• Head, Eye & Face Protection (1926.102)
• Trenching & Excavation Safety (1926 Subpart P)

Employers must ensure workers are trained on job-specific hazards such as:

• Fall protection, electrical, and trench safety
• Ladder and scaffold use
• Hazard communication (chemical safety)
• PPE, tool safety, and more
• OSHA 10 & 30 Hour Training (highly recommended, sometimes required)
• Training must be provided in a language workers understand

• Employers with 10+ employees must maintain OSHA 300, 301, and 300A logs
• Post your 300A Summary from Feb 1–Apr 30 annually
• Serious incidents must be reported to OSHA within required timeframes

• Serious Violations: up to $16,131 per violation
• Willful/Repeat Violations: up to $161,323
• Non-compliance can also result in work stoppages, lawsuits, or loss of contracts

Ignoring OSHA compliance can cost you money, time, and lives. Investing in proactive safety measures protects your crew, your company’s reputation, and your bottom line.