General Industry
OSHA requirements for auto repair shop
Solvents, lifts, compressed air, welding, and waste oil put a small shop squarely inside a dozen OSHA standards.
Get the auto repair shop version of this list — red, yellow, green — in three minutes.
Check my auto repair shopStandards that typically apply (11)
Hazard Communication
29 CFR 1910.1200
Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR 1910 Subpart I
Emergency Action Plan
29 CFR 1910.38
Fire Prevention & Extinguishers
29 CFR 1910.39 / 1910.157
Walking-Working Surfaces
29 CFR 1910 Subpart D
Required Workplace Postings
29 CFR 1903.2
Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy)
29 CFR 1910.147
Machine Guarding
29 CFR 1910 Subpart O
Electrical Safety
29 CFR 1910 Subpart S
Welding, Cutting & Brazing
29 CFR 1910 Subpart Q
Driver & Fleet Safety
General Duty Clause; DOT where applicable
Typical, not automatic. Your actual list depends on the hazards present in your workplace.
OSHA training requirements for auto repair shop
Training obligations follow the standards above. For a typical auto repair shop, that usually means the following courses, delivered before employees are exposed to the hazard and repeated on each standard's own cycle.
| Standard | Training typically required |
|---|---|
| Hazard Communication29 CFR 1910.1200 | Hazard Communication overview, Reading and using Safety Data Sheets, Chemical labeling and GHS pictograms, Employee right-to-know |
| Personal Protective Equipment29 CFR 1910 Subpart I | PPE selection and limitations, Fit, care, and inspection, Eye, face, hand, foot, and head protection, Hearing protection basics |
| Emergency Action Plan29 CFR 1910.38 | Evacuation routes and assembly points, Alarm recognition and reporting, Roles during an emergency |
| Fire Prevention & Extinguishers29 CFR 1910.39 / 1910.157 | Fire hazards in your workplace, Extinguisher use (PASS) if employees are expected to fight fires, Reporting and evacuation |
| Walking-Working Surfaces29 CFR 1910 Subpart D | Slip, trip, and fall prevention, Housekeeping expectations, Reporting damaged surfaces |
| Required Workplace Postings29 CFR 1903.2 | Where to find postings, How to report a hazard or injury |
| Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy)29 CFR 1910.147 | Authorized employee lockout procedures, Affected employee awareness, Group lockout and shift change |
| Machine Guarding29 CFR 1910 Subpart O | Guard purpose and inspection, Never bypass a guard, Reporting damaged guards |
| Electrical Safety29 CFR 1910 Subpart S | Qualified vs. unqualified person, Safe work practices around energized equipment, Cord, tool, and GFCI inspection |
| Welding, Cutting & Brazing29 CFR 1910 Subpart Q | Hot work permit procedure, Fire watch duties, Cylinder handling and storage |
| Driver & Fleet SafetyGeneral Duty Clause; DOT where applicable | Defensive driving, Distracted driving policy, Vehicle inspection and incident reporting |
Written programs and records for auto repair shop
Training alone is not compliance. Each standard below also expects a document an inspector can read and a record that proves the training happened.
Hazard Communication
- Written HazCom program
- Chemical inventory list
- SDS library with employee access
- Employee training acknowledgments
Personal Protective Equipment
- Written PPE hazard assessment certification
- PPE issuance log
- Employee training acknowledgments
Emergency Action Plan
- Written emergency action plan
- Posted evacuation maps
- Drill records
- Employee review acknowledgments
Fire Prevention & Extinguishers
- Written fire prevention plan
- Monthly extinguisher inspection log
- Annual extinguisher service records
Walking-Working Surfaces
- Facility inspection checklist
- Corrective action log
Required Workplace Postings
- OSHA 'It's the Law' poster
- State-required postings
- Posting location record
Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy)
- Written energy control program
- Machine-specific procedures
- Annual periodic inspection records
Machine Guarding
- Machine guarding inspection checklist
- Corrective action log
Electrical Safety
- Electrical safety program
- Equipment inspection log
- Qualified person designations
Welding, Cutting & Brazing
- Hot work permit forms
- Fire watch records
- Cylinder inspection log
Driver & Fleet Safety
- Written fleet safety policy
- Driver license verification records
- Vehicle inspection logs
What we see go wrong most often
- No written Hazard Communication program even though the parts room is full of chemicals
- SDS binder is out of date or nobody knows where it is
- Lift inspections happen but are never documented
- Hot work near combustibles with no permit or fire watch
Get your own list instead of a generic one.
- 15 questions about the work you actually do
- Every likely requirement scored red, yellow, or green
- Training and documentation gaps called out separately
Last reviewed September 4, 2026. Educational summary based on federal OSHA standards. State plans may be stricter. Not legal advice. More OSHA answers.