Construction
OSHA requirements for construction & trades
Fall protection, ladders, silica, and struck-by hazards make construction the most heavily cited sector year after year.
Get the construction & trades version of this list — red, yellow, green — in three minutes.
Check my construction & tradesStandards that typically apply (13)
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
Machine Guarding
29 CFR 1910 Subpart O
Electrical Safety
29 CFR 1910 Subpart S
Fall Protection
29 CFR 1910.28 / 1926 Subpart M
Ladder Safety
29 CFR 1910.23
Heat & Outdoor Work
OSH Act General Duty Clause; state heat rules
Heavy Equipment & Struck-By Hazards
29 CFR 1926 Subpart O / General Duty Clause
Contractor & Temporary Worker Safety
OSHA multi-employer citation policy; TWI guidance
Typical, not automatic. Your actual list depends on the hazards present in your workplace.
OSHA training requirements for construction & trades
Training obligations follow the standards above. For a typical construction & trades, 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 |
| 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 |
| Fall Protection29 CFR 1910.28 / 1926 Subpart M | Fall hazard recognition, Harness inspection and donning, Anchorage, tie-off, and rescue |
| Ladder Safety29 CFR 1910.23 | Ladder selection and inspection, Setup, angle, and securing, Safe climbing practices |
| Heat & Outdoor WorkOSH Act General Duty Clause; state heat rules | Heat illness signs and response, Hydration and acclimatization, Cold stress basics |
| Heavy Equipment & Struck-By Hazards29 CFR 1926 Subpart O / General Duty Clause | Blind spots and spotter signals, High-visibility requirements, Ground worker positioning |
| Contractor & Temporary Worker SafetyOSHA multi-employer citation policy; TWI guidance | Contractor site orientation, Hazard communication to non-employees, Host/staffing responsibilities |
Written programs and records for construction & trades
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
Machine Guarding
- Machine guarding inspection checklist
- Corrective action log
Electrical Safety
- Electrical safety program
- Equipment inspection log
- Qualified person designations
Fall Protection
- Fall protection plan
- Equipment inspection records
- Rescue plan
Ladder Safety
- Ladder inspection log
- Damaged ladder removal records
Heat & Outdoor Work
- Heat illness prevention plan
- Acclimatization schedule
- Training acknowledgments
Heavy Equipment & Struck-By Hazards
- Traffic control plan
- Equipment inspection records
- Spotter designations
Contractor & Temporary Worker Safety
- Contractor safety requirements
- Site orientation sign-in records
- Staffing agency agreements
What we see go wrong most often
- Fall protection equipment in the truck with no inspection records
- No competent person designated in writing
- Ladder training assumed rather than documented
- Subcontractor orientation never recorded
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.