The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets the rules every American employer must follow to keep workers safe, and compliance starts with knowing what applies to you. Under the OSH Act’s General Duty Clause, every employer must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards, and on top of that sit detailed standards: 29 CFR 1910 for general industry and 29 CFR 1926 for construction. The rules cover nearly every private-sector employer.
Build a Safety Program
The foundation is a written safety and health program. Walk the workplace and assess hazards — falls, electrical risks, machinery, chemical exposures — then put controls in place, starting with eliminating the hazard and only then relying on protective equipment. Provide the protective equipment the job requires at no cost to workers, keep safety data sheets for every hazardous chemical, and label containers. Train workers on the hazards they will face before they start, and document it: missing records are one of the most common reasons employers get cited.
Records and Reporting
Keep an OSHA 300 log of work-related injuries and illnesses if you have more than ten employees, and post the annual summary each February. Report a work-related fatality to OSHA within eight hours, and any hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye within 24 hours. Post the OSHA poster where workers can see it, and remember employees may report hazards without retaliation and may request an inspection.
Where Employers Get Caught — and What It Costs
OSHA’s most-cited standards are the same year after year. In fiscal 2025, fall protection led with 6,992 citations, followed by hazard communication, ladders and scaffolding — and most of those citations trace to missing paperwork, not exotic hazards. The price is real: up to $16,550 per serious violation in 2026, and $165,514 for willful or repeat ones. OSHA’s free, confidential consultation program — separate from enforcement — will walk a small employer through compliance, and its Voluntary Protection Programs recognize workplaces that go beyond the minimum.