What Is OSHA?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Labor. It was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 with a single purpose: to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for American workers.

OSHA does this by setting enforceable standards, conducting workplace inspections, requiring employer recordkeeping, and providing outreach and education. Employers who violate OSHA standards face civil penalties; in cases involving worker deaths from willful violations, employers can face criminal charges.

Does OSHA Apply to My Business?

Almost certainly yes. The OSH Act covers most private-sector employers and their workers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories. It applies regardless of business size — a company with two employees has the same general duty to provide a safe workplace as one with 20,000.

Who is NOT covered by federal OSHA:

Small business note: Having fewer than 10 employees does not exempt you from OSHA standards. It only exempts certain low-hazard businesses from OSHA's injury and illness recordkeeping requirements. Every other OSHA obligation still applies.

The General Duty Clause

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act — known as the General Duty Clause — requires every employer to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm. This clause exists as a catch-all for hazards not covered by a specific OSHA standard. OSHA can cite an employer under the General Duty Clause even if no specific standard addresses the hazard in question.

Your Core Legal Obligations as an Employer

Provide a safe workplace

You must comply with all applicable OSHA standards and eliminate recognized hazards. This is not optional and does not have a minimum size threshold.

Inform employees of their rights

You must post the official OSHA "Job Safety and Health — It's the Law" poster (or the equivalent state plan poster) in a prominent location where workers can see it. This is one of the most commonly overlooked requirements for small businesses.

Provide required training

OSHA standards require training in dozens of specific areas. The required training depends on your industry and the specific hazards your workers face. Common required training areas include hazard communication, PPE use, emergency action plans, fire safety, fall protection, and lockout/tagout.

Maintain required records

Employers with 11 or more employees in most industries must keep OSHA injury and illness records using Forms 300, 300A, and 301. Certain low-hazard industries are partially exempt. See our full recordkeeping guide for details.

Report serious incidents

All employers — regardless of size — must report worker fatalities within 8 hours and amputations, loss of an eye, or in-patient hospitalization of three or more workers within 24 hours. Call 1-800-321-OSHA.

Allow OSHA inspections

You must allow OSHA compliance officers to enter and inspect your workplace during regular working hours. You have the right to accompany the inspector and to contest citations, but you cannot refuse entry to an inspector with a warrant.

Not retaliate against workers

It is illegal to retaliate against any employee for reporting a safety concern, filing an OSHA complaint, or exercising any right under the OSH Act. Retaliation can result in back pay, reinstatement, and additional penalties.

Required Workplace Postings

Every employer covered by OSHA must post the following in a location visible to all employees:

Written Programs OSHA Requires

Many OSHA standards require employers to have written programs documenting how they manage specific hazards. These are not optional. If OSHA asks for them and you don't have them, that's a citation.

The most commonly required written programs include:

Building a Simple Safety Program from Scratch

For small businesses without a dedicated safety department, getting to baseline compliance doesn't require a consultant. It requires a clear checklist and consistent follow-through.

Step 1: Conduct a hazard assessment

Walk every area of your facility and identify hazards — physical, chemical, electrical, ergonomic. Write them down. This document becomes the foundation for everything else.

Step 2: Write the required programs

Based on your hazard assessment, identify which written programs OSHA requires for your workplace. Start with the ones that apply to the most workers or the highest-risk activities. Templates are available free from OSHA.gov and on our checklists page.

Step 3: Train your employees

Document every training session — who attended, what was covered, the date, and the trainer's name. Verbal training with no records is the same as no training in OSHA's view.

Step 4: Post what's required

Get the OSHA poster up. Make sure the 300A summary goes up February 1 if you're required to keep logs. Post citations promptly if you ever receive them.

Step 5: Create a hazard reporting system

Give workers a way to report safety concerns without fear of retaliation. Even a simple written form works. The goal is to catch hazards internally before they catch the attention of OSHA.

Step 6: Review annually

Your safety program is a living document. Review and update it at least once a year, and whenever you add new processes, equipment, or chemicals to the workplace.

Free OSHA Resources Worth Knowing About

OSHA offers several free services that many small employers don't know exist:

The On-Site Consultation Program is significantly underused by small employers. It's free, it's confidential, and it exists specifically to help businesses get compliant before an enforcement visit, not after.