Compliance Assistance Quick Start > Construction Industry

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Compliance Assistance Quick Start: Construction Industry »

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Step 1: OSHA Requirements Related to Leading Hazards at Construction Sites

The following resources will introduce you to OSHA requirements that address some of the leading hazards at construction sites.

Falls consistently account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry. If you have employees who work six or more feet above a lower level, you must provide fall protection.

Read a fact sheet. OSHA Fact Sheet: Preventing Falls [PDF - 353 KB]
Review an OSHA booklet. Fall Protection in Construction. OSHA Publication 3146 (1998). Also available as a 180 KB PDF.
Read the standards.
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M
- OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Fall Protection – Standards
Review fall protection information for specific operations or types of construction:
- Residential construction. OSHA Instruction STD 03-00-001: Plain Language Revision of OSHA Instruction STD 3.1, Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction
- Steel erection. OSHA Construction eTool: Steel Erection - Fall Protection
Learn more:
- OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Fall Protection
- OSHA Construction eTool: Falls
- OSHA Pocket Guide: Construction. OSHA Publication 3252 (2005). Also available as a 288 KB PDF.

Stairways and Ladders. Working on and around stairways and ladders can be hazardous. Stairways and ladders are major sources of injuries and fatalities among construction workers.

Review an OSHA booklet. Stairways and Ladders. OSHA Publication 3124 (2003). Also available as a 156 KB PDF.
Read the standards.
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart X
- OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Walking/Working Surfaces – OSHA Standards
Learn more:
- OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Walking/Working Surfaces
- OSHA Construction eTool: Misuse of Portable Ladders

Scaffolding. Do you use scaffolding on your jobsite?
- Review an OSHA booklet. A Guide to Scaffold Use in the Construction Industry. OSHA Publication 3150 (2002). Also available as a 2.1 MB PDF.
- Read the standards.
  - 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L
  - OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Scaffolding – OSHA Standards
- Learn more:
  - OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Scaffolding
  - OSHA Construction eTool: Scaffolding
Electrical. Almost all construction employers must consider the hazards associated with electricity (i.e., electric shock, electrocution, fires and explosions).
- Review OSHA booklets:
  - Controlling Electrical Hazards. OSHA Publication 3075 (2002)
  - Ground-Fault Protection on Construction Sites. OSHA Publication 3007 (1998)
- Read the standards.
  - 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K
  - OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Electrical – Standards
- Learn more:
  - OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Electrical
  - OSHA Construction eTool: Electrical Incidents
Trenching and Excavation are among the most hazardous construction operations.
- Read a Safety Tips Card. Working Safely in Trenches. OSHA Publication 3243 (2005). Also available as a 104 KB PDF.
- Get a poster. Trenching Poster. OSHA Publication 3215 (2005). Also available as a 68 KB PDF.
- Review an OSHA booklet. Excavations. OSHA Publication 2226 (2002). Also available as a 536 KB PDF.
- Read the standards.
  - 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P
  - OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Trenching and Excavation - Construction
- Learn more:
Motor Vehicle Safety/Highway Work Zones. Do you operate motor vehicles on your jobsite or do your employees work in and around highway work zones?
- Read the standards.
  - 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O, 29 CFR 1926, Subpart G
  - OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Motor Vehicle Safety - Construction
- Learn more:

NOTE: To find the OSHA standards that are most frequently cited by OSHA inspectors, visit Frequently Cited OSHA Standards. On that page, you can find the most frequently cited federal or state OSHA standards by your industry’s Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code and the number of employees in your establishment. To generate a list of the most frequently cited standards in the construction industry as a whole, enter a C in the SIC code box.

NOTE: Most construction jobsites involve multiple employers (i.e., general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, etc.). If you perform work on such jobsites, you should review OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy.

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Accessibility Assistance: Some documents are available as text-enabled PDF documents. If additional assistance is needed in reading/reviewing these documents, please contact the Office of Outreach Services and Alliances at 202-693-2340.

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