Construction
Quick Start
Follow the steps below to identify the major OSHA construction requirements
and guidance materials that may apply to your jobsite. These steps will lead you to resources on
OSHA's website that will help you comply with OSHA requirements and prevent workplace injuries and
illnesses.
For more information, see the
Construction Quick Start Library.
This includes a collection of forms, resources, publications, and sample programs that are
incorporated into the Quick Start steps, plus additional compliance assistance resources. You can
use this collection as a reference after completing the steps.
NOTE: If you have Spanish-speaking employees, visit
OSHA's
Compliance Assistance: Hispanic Employers and Workers page and
OSHA en Español.
If you employ teen or young workers, visit
OSHA's Teen Workers page.
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.
- Review fall protection information for specific operations or types of construction:
- Learn more:
- 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.
- Learn more:
- Scaffolding. Do you use scaffolding on your jobsite?
- Electrical. Almost all construction employers must consider the
hazards associated with electricity (i.e., electric shock, electrocution, fires and explosions).
- Review OSHA booklets:
- Read the standards.
- Learn more:
- Trenching and Excavation are among the most hazardous
construction operations.
- Read a Safety Tips QuickCard.
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.
- 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 a fact sheet. OSHA Fact Sheet: Work Zone Traffic Safety [PDF* - 21 KB]
- Read the standards.
- 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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Step 2: Other OSHA Requirements That May Apply to Your Jobsite
In addition to the OSHA requirements covered in Step 1, a number of other
OSHA standards may apply to your jobsite. The following items can help you identify other key OSHA
standards that may apply and point you to information to help you comply with those standards.
- OSHA construction standards (see 29 CFR
1926.28 and
1926.95) state that employers must
require their employees to wear appropriate personal protective equipment
(PPE) in all operations where employees are exposed to hazardous conditions or where
OSHA's construction standards indicate the need for using PPE to reduce the hazards.
- Hand and Power Tools. Hand and power tools are common at nearly
every construction jobsite.
- Do you use concrete or masonry products
on your jobsite?
- Review OSHA booklets.
- Read the standards.
- Learn more:
- Do you use cranes, derricks, hoists,
elevators, or conveyors on your jobsite?
- Do you conduct welding, cutting, or brazing at your jobsite?
- Are you engaged in residential construction?
- Are you engaged in steel erection?
- Fire Safety and Emergency Action Planning. Construction
employers are responsible for the development and maintenance of an
effective fire protection and prevention program at the jobsite throughout
all phases of the construction, repair, alteration, or demolition work. (29
CFR 1926.24). OSHA recommends that all employers have an emergency
action plan. A plan is mandatory when required by an OSHA standard. (29
CFR 1926.35). An emergency action plan describes the actions employees
should take to ensure their safety in a fire or other emergency situation.
- Hazard Communication Standard. This standard is designed to
ensure that employers and employees know about hazardous chemicals in the workplace and how to
protect themselves. Employers with employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals in the
workplace must prepare and implement a written Hazard Communication Program and comply with
other requirements of the standard, including providing Material Data Safety Sheets, training,
and labeling.
This list is not comprehensive – additional OSHA standards may apply to your workplace. In
addition, section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, known as the
General Duty
Clause, requires employers to provide their employees with a workplace that is free of
recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Be sure to review
OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR 1926) for requirements that
may apply to your workplace.
- You may review and print FREE copies of OSHA's construction standards from OSHA's Website. You may also
order bound volumes of the standards from the Government Printing
Office (GPO) at (866) 512-1800 or from
GPO's website.
- An OSHA booklet summarizes OSHA construction standards that are most frequently overlooked by
employers and standards that cover particularly hazardous situations.
Construction Industry
Digest. OSHA Publication 2202 (2002). Also available as a 631 KB
PDF*.
- The OSHA
Construction Resource Manual includes links to the relevant mandatory standards for
construction work that have been codified in OSHA's standards, including 29 CFR Parts 1903,
1904, 1910, and 1926.
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Step 3: Survey Your Workplace for Additional Hazards
Survey your workplace for additional hazards by:
Find information on workplace health hazards, such as:
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Step 4: Develop a Jobsite Safety and Health Program
OSHA's construction standards require construction employers to have
accident prevention programs that provide for frequent and regular inspection of the jobsites,
materials, and equipment by competent persons designated by the employers. See
29 CFR 1926.20(b).
NOTE: OSHA's Construction Focused Inspection Policy recognizes
the efforts of responsible contractors who have implemented effective safety and health programs,
and encourages other contractors to adopt similar programs. Contractors who have implemented
effective programs are eligible for focused inspections, should they be visited by an OSHA
inspector. Focused inspections, which are narrower in scope than comprehensive inspections,
target the leading construction hazards. See
Focused Inspections in Construction.
For help in developing a program:
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Step 5: Train Your Employees
Learn about OSHA requirements and resources for training construction
workers by:
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Step 6: Recordkeeping, Reporting and Posting
- Recordkeeping. OSHA generally requires construction employers to
keep records of workplace injuries and illnesses (29
CFR 1904).
-
First determine if you are exempt from the routine recordkeeping requirements. If you had 10
or fewer employees during all of the last calendar year (29 CFR 1904.1),
you are exempt from the recordkeeping requirements (unless asked to do so in writing by OSHA
or the Bureau of Labor Statistics). Even if you qualify for this exemption, you must still
comply with the reporting requirements noted below.
- If you do not qualify for this exemption, you must comply with OSHA's recordkeeping requirements.
- Reporting. OSHA requires all employers, regardless of size
or industry, to report the work-related death of any employee or
hospitalizations of three or more employees. Read about OSHA's reporting
requirements (29
CFR 1904.39).
-
OSHA Poster. All employers must post the OSHA Poster (or state
plan equivalent) in a prominent location in the workplace. Where
employers are engaged in activities that are physically dispersed, such as
construction, the OSHA Poster must be posted at the location to which
employees report each day (see
29 CFR 1903.2). Download
or order the OSHA Poster in
English or
Spanish.
- Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records. An OSHA standard (29
CFR 1910.1020) requires employers to provide employees, their designated
representatives, and OSHA with access to employee exposure and medical records.
Employers generally must maintain employee exposure records for 30 years and
medical records for the duration of the employee's employment plus 30 years.
NOTE: If your workplace is in a state operating an
OSHA-approved
state program, state plan recordkeeping regulations, although substantially identical to federal
ones, may have some more stringent or supplemental requirements, such as for reporting of fatalities
and catastrophes. Contact your state program directly for additional information.
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Step 7: Find Additional Compliance Assistance Information
- Where can I find additional information targeted to the construction industry?
-
Where can I find a collection of OSHA resources designed for smaller employers?
-
Do you have Spanish-speaking employees?
-
Do you employ teen or young workers?
-
Are you concerned that your employees could suffer musculoskeletal disorders at the workplace?
-
Has OSHA developed any compliance assistance information targeted for my specific construction
industry?
- How do I find out about OSHA's voluntary programs and other ways to work cooperatively
with OSHA?
- What if I still have questions?
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Construction Quick Start Library
This Construction Quick Start Library includes a collection of forms, publications, resources,
and sample programs from the Quick Start steps, plus additional compliance assistance resources. You
can use this collection as a reference after completing the steps.
Laws and Regulations
Forms
Posters
Publications
Newsletters
-
QuickTakes. OSHA's twice monthly electronic newsletter.
QuickCards
Fact Sheets
- Asbestos (2002) [PDF*
– 63 KB]
- Carbon Monoxide (2002) [PDF*
- 68 KB]
- Crystalline Silica (2002) [PDF*
- 53 KB]
-
Disaster Recovery Fact Sheets
-
Fire Safety (2003). Also available as a 56 KB
PDF*.
- Personal Protective Equipment (2002) [PDF*
- 293 KB]
- Preventing Falls (2005) [PDF*
– 353 KB]
-
Hazard Communication Standard (1993)
- Protecting Workers From Effects of Heat (2005) [PDF*
– 23 KB]
- Three C's of VPP (2004) [PDF*
- 354 KB]
- Work Zone Traffic Safety (2007) [PDF* - 21 KB]
- Working Outdoors in Warm Climates (2005) [PDF*
- 26 KB]
- Working Safely With Electricity (2005) [PDF*
– 354 KB]
Pocket Guides
-
Construction. OSHA Publication 3252 (2005).
Also available as a 288 KB
PDF*.
Booklets
Other Publications and Guidance Documents
Web Pages
Electronic Compliance Assistance Tools: eTools and Expert Advisors
-
OSHA Expert Advisors
-
OSHA eTools
Spanish-Language Materials
The following are examples of OSHA's Spanish-language resources of
interest to the construction industry. For a complete list of OSHA's Spanish-language resources,
visit the
Compliance Assistance: Hispanic Employers and Workers page.
-
Asbestos Fact Sheet (Asbesto) [PDF
– 67 KB]
-
Cold Stress Card (La
Ecuación del Frío). OSHA Publication 3158 (1999). Also available as a 21 KB
PDF.
-
Construction: Preventing Fatalities eTool (eTool de Construcción - La Prevención De
Fatalidades).
-
Crystalline Silica Exposure Card for Construction (Exposición a la sílice cristalina:
Información sobre riesgos de la salud para los empleados de la construcción). OSHA Publication
3179 (2003). Also available as a 42 KB
PDF.
-
Crystalline Silica Fact Sheet (Exposición a la sílice cristalina) [PDF
- 75 KB].
-
Dictionaries of OSHA Terms. These dictionaries include English-to-Spanish and
Spanish-to-English translations of general OSHA, general industry, and construction industry
terms. The dictionaries are intended to assist OSHA, recipients of Susan Harwood Training
Grants, and others in their Spanish-language translations.
-
Disaster Recovery Resources (Cards, Fact Sheets, Public Service Announcements)
-
Electrical Fact Sheet (Trabajando en forma segura con electricidad) [PDF
- 352 KB].
-
Falls Fact Sheet (Cómo prevenir caídas) [PDF
- 348 KB].
-
Heat Stress Card (La
Ecuación del Calor) [PDF
- 75 KB]. OSHA Publication 3155 (2002).
-
Lockout/Tagout Fact Sheet (Candado/Etiqueta) [PDF
– 92 KB]
-
Personal Protective Equipment Fact Sheet (Equipo de Protección Personal) [PDF
- 68 KB].
-
Protecting Yourself in the Sun (Protéjase
Contra Los Rayos Dañinos del Sol). OSHA Publication 3168 (2000). Also available as a 43 KB
PDF.
-
Trenching Poster (No
Entres en una Trinchera que Carezca de Protección!). OSHA Publication 3255 (2005). Also
available as a
70 KB
PDF.
-
Working Safely in Trenches QuickCard (Trabajando de Manera Segura en una Trinchera). OSHA
Publication 3243. Also available as a 104 KB
PDF.
Sample Programs
The following sample programs provide examples of written programs
on workplace safety and health topics. They are provided for illustrative purposes only. These
sample programs do not supersede the requirements in OSHA standards. Employers should consult the
applicable OSHA standards for the specific requirements applicable to their workplaces when
developing their own customized programs.
The sample programs from State Consultation Programs may contain local
contact information. Employers are encouraged to contact their own
State Consultation Program for help in developing customized programs.
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*These files are provided for
downloading only.
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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