OSHA compliance for small construction crews — a plain-English guide
If you run a 2–35 person construction company in the U.S., OSHA applies to you the same as it does to the GC running a $50M tower. This guide walks through what's actually required, what an inspector will ask for first, and how to put a defensible program in place fast.
1. Yes, OSHA applies to you
There is no small-business exemption from OSHA's standards. The exemption people sometimes refer to is from recordkeeping: if you have 10 or fewer employees throughout the year, you don't have to maintain the OSHA 300 log routinely — but you still must report fatalities, hospitalizations, amputations, and loss-of-eye incidents.
Bottom line: written programs, training, PPE, and incident reporting all apply to you the day you hire your first employee.
2. The written programs you almost certainly need
- Hazard Communication (1910.1200) — required if any chemical is used on site. SDSs, labeling, training.
- Personal Protective Equipment (1926.95–106) — written PPE hazard assessment per job task.
- Fall Protection (1926.501–503) — required at 6 ft in construction.
- Emergency Action Plan — required if you have more than 10 employees.
Trade-specific programs stack on top: silica for concrete crews, scaffold for steel erectors, respiratory for painters, confined space for plumbers, electrical/LOTO for electricians.
3. What an OSHA inspector asks for first
On a routine inspection, expect the compliance officer to ask for, in roughly this order:
- Your written safety programs (the ones above).
- Training records — who was trained, on what, when, and by whom.
- The OSHA 300/300A logs for the last 5 years.
- Equipment inspection records (ladders, scaffolds, harnesses, cranes).
- SDS access for any chemicals visible on the site.
The fastest way to get cited is not for the hazard itself — it's for not being able to produce the paperwork proving you addressed it.
4. Training records (and how long to keep them)
Most construction training records must be kept for the duration of employment plus 3 years. Medical records (respirator fit tests, audiograms, exposure monitoring) must be kept for 30 years per 1910.1020. A simple rule: keep everything, indexed by employee, ideally digitally so you can produce it during an inspection.
5. Incident reporting deadlines
- Fatality: report within 8 hours.
- Inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye: report within 24 hours.
- Other recordable injuries: log on the OSHA 300 within 7 calendar days.
"Recordable" has a specific OSHA definition — it's not every band-aid, and it's not just the severe ones. Safety Simple's incident wizard applies the OSHA recordability test for you so you don't have to guess.
6. The OSHA 300, 300A, and 301 — what's the difference?
The OSHA 300 is the running log. The 301 is the detailed incident report behind each line on the 300. The 300A is the annual summary — you must post it visibly in the workplace from February 1 to April 30 every year, even if you had zero incidents.
7. How to put this in place this week
You have three options:
- Hire a safety consultant. Reliable but slow and expensive ($150–250/hr).
- Build it yourself from OSHA's eTools and templates. Free but you have to know what you're doing and stay current on regulatory changes.
- Use a tool built for small crews. That's what Safety Simple does — onboarding asks what trade you do and generates the required written programs, daily checklists, and toolbox talks for that trade. You can be inspector-ready in an afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Does OSHA apply to small construction companies?
Yes. OSHA jurisdiction applies to almost every private-sector employer in the U.S., including 1-person operations. There is no employee-count exemption from the standards themselves — only from some recordkeeping (companies with 10 or fewer employees are partially exempt from OSHA 300 logs, but still must report fatalities and serious incidents).
What written safety programs am I required to have?
Baseline programs for construction include Hazard Communication (1910.1200), PPE Assessment (1926.95), Fall Protection (1926.501–503), and an Emergency Action Plan if you have more than 10 employees. Additional programs depend on your trade — Silica (1926.1153), Respiratory Protection (1910.134), Confined Space (1926.1200), Scaffold (1926.451), etc.
How long do I have to keep training records?
OSHA generally requires training records be kept for the duration of employment plus 3 years for most construction standards. Medical records (e.g. respirator fit tests, audiograms) must be kept for 30 years.
When do I have to report an incident to OSHA?
Fatalities must be reported within 8 hours. Inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and loss of an eye must be reported within 24 hours. All other recordable injuries go on the OSHA 300 log.
What's the difference between OSHA 300, 300A, and 301?
The 300 is the running log of work-related injuries and illnesses. The 301 is the detailed incident report for each entry. The 300A is the annual summary you must post in the workplace from February 1 to April 30 each year.
What's the average OSHA fine?
Serious violations are up to $16,550 per violation (2024). Willful or repeated violations are up to $165,514 per violation. Most small-contractor citations cluster around fall protection, hazard communication, ladder safety, and respiratory protection.
This guide is general OSHA information, not legal advice. For citations specific to your jurisdiction or project, consult a qualified safety professional or attorney.