An OSHA compliance officer can knock on your door tomorrow. No warning. No appointment. Just a badge, a clipboard, and the legal authority to walk every inch of your facility. That's how it works under the OSH Act of 1970 — Section 8 lets compliance officers enter any workplace covered by the law during regular hours, and you cannot delay the inspection just because the boss is at lunch.
Here's the catch. Most cited employers had no idea they were out of compliance. Walking-working surfaces, hazard communication, machine guarding — the top citations are everyday housekeeping issues, not exotic engineering failures. A printable osha 300 log excel file, a clean SDS binder, and a 30-minute Friday walk-through would have prevented most of them. The gap isn't knowledge; it's habit.
That's what this checklist is for. It's structured exactly the way an OSHA inspector approaches your site — opening conference, walk-around, document review, closing conference. Use it as a self-audit. Fix what you find before someone else does. Pin it to your safety committee meeting agenda and review one section every month.
Two flavors below. General industry under 29 CFR 1910 covers manufacturing, warehousing, healthcare, retail, and offices. Construction under 29 CFR 1926 covers active job sites, demolition, and renovation. Many employers need both — a hospital building a new wing has 1910 inside the existing facility and 1926 on the construction footprint, and the inspector will sort which standard applies to each citation as she walks.
Worth knowing: you don't have to wait for a citation. OSHA's free osha certification consultation program will send a safety expert to your site, identify hazards, and give you a written report — with no penalties and no enforcement referral. We'll cover how that works near the end. For now, start at the top and work down.
1. Employee complaint. Anyone — including a former worker — can file a complaint anonymously. OSHA must investigate credible reports of serious hazards.
2. Reportable event. A workplace fatality must be reported within 8 hours. Any in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye must be reported within 24 hours.
3. Programmed inspection. High-hazard industries (construction, manufacturing of certain products, healthcare) are on emphasis programs. Your number can come up at random.
Block out two hours. Print this checklist. Walk the floor with a supervisor and a frontline worker — not alone, and not from your office. You'll catch things they see every day and you stopped noticing months ago. The frontline worker matters most; they know which guard has been removed for three weeks.
The order matters. Inspectors start at the entrance, work outward, and finish at the office. Do the same. Look at what a stranger would see — exit signs lit, aisles clear, eyewash stations not blocked by a pallet of paper towels. Photograph your findings. The photos become the before-and-after record for your safety committee.
The OSHA poster (3165) must be posted where workers can see it — break room, time clock, main entrance. Faded copies don't count. Print a fresh one from osha.gov. Right next to it: your previous year's 300A summary, posted February 1 through April 30. If you have 11 or more employees and aren't in a partially exempt industry, that 300A is mandatory and the inspector will ask for it within the first hour.
This is the #1 issue in most facilities. Aisles must be clear of trip hazards. Wet floor signs deployed when floors are wet. Stair handrails on any flight of 4+ risers. Floor holes covered. Mezzanine guardrails 42 inches plus toe boards. The inspector will literally walk your aisles — if she trips, you fail. Cords across walkways are the easiest violation in America to find.
Two unobstructed exits from every work area (with limited exceptions). Exit signs illuminated and visible. Exit doors unlocked from the inside. No exit door blocked by furniture, equipment, or storage — yes, even temporarily. Written emergency action plan covering fire, severe weather, and any site-specific hazards. Annual drill documented with date, time, and number of participants. Lost time to evacuation? Tracked too.
Extinguishers mounted, accessible, inspected monthly (employee initials on the tag), and serviced annually by a licensed contractor. Travel distance to an extinguisher under 75 feet for Class A and 50 feet for Class B. Clearance under and around — nothing stacked in front. The extinguisher tag tells the whole story; if last month's box is empty, the inspector marks it before you finish explaining.
This is where most U.S. workplaces fall. Manufacturing plants. Warehouses. Hospitals. Schools. Restaurants. Retail. Offices. If you're not on an active construction site, you're under 1910. The 13 subparts below cover what compliance officers check most often — fix these and you've handled 90% of likely citations.
Panel boxes need 36 inches of clear space in front. Every breaker labeled. Knockouts filled. No exposed wiring. Extension cords are temporary — if one has been plugged in for a month, you need a hardwired solution. GFCI everywhere there's water within 6 feet. Old two-prong outlets in a workspace? Replace them.
Every point of operation guarded. Belts, pulleys, gears, rotating shafts — guarded. The guard must prevent a person from reaching the hazard while the machine is running. A guard that's been removed and not replaced is the most common shop-floor citation. If a guard was removed for maintenance, lockout/tagout was supposed to happen before that — but the inspector won't care about the back-story.
Every chemical needs three things: a labeled container, an SDS available to workers, and documented training. The SDS binder should be in a known location — not the boss's locked office. Workers must be able to read the SDS in their primary language. "I just need to grab the key" doesn't satisfy accessibility.
Written program. Machine-specific procedures. Annual program audit. Authorized employees individually trained. Each authorized employee gets their own lock with their name on it — not a shared lock from a kit. Periodic inspection of the procedures themselves — at least once per year, documented.
If you have a permit-required confined space — tank, vault, pit, silo — you need a written program, entry permits, atmospheric testing equipment, rescue arrangements, and signs at every entrance. "We don't enter them often" doesn't exempt you. The space is permit-required by its characteristics, not by frequency.
If anyone wears a tight-fitting respirator — even voluntarily — you need a written program, medical evaluation, fit-testing, training, and recordkeeping. Voluntary use of dust masks (filtering facepieces) only requires Appendix D distribution, but cartridge respirators need the full program.
Healthcare, dental, schools, first responders, anyone designated to respond to injuries. Written Exposure Control Plan updated annually. Hepatitis B vaccine offered free within 10 days of assignment. Training annually. Sharps containers — puncture-resistant, closable, properly mounted. The exposure determination list must name every job classification with potential exposure, not just "clinical staff."
#1 every year. Construction, unprotected sides, no guardrails or PFAS on rooftops above 6 feet.
Missing SDS, unlabeled containers, no written program, inadequate training.
Damaged ladders, wrong type for the task, side rails not extending 3 feet above landing.
Missing planking, no guardrails, improper access, inadequate footing.
Forklift training expired, unsafe operation, no daily inspection. See common forklift osha violations.
No written procedures, no annual audit, shared locks instead of individual locks.
Active construction is a different animal. Conditions change every hour. A site that was compliant yesterday morning has a new hole, a new edge, a new crane swing radius today. The competent person — designated in writing, by name — is supposed to inspect daily, before each shift, and after any condition change.
Fall protection drives everything. Above 6 feet, you need guardrails, safety nets, or a personal fall arrest system. Period. No "just for a minute." No "only one guy up there." The most common osha forklift violations on construction sites involve sideways traffic and incomplete daily checklists — but fall protection citations dwarf everything else.
Fully planked working level. Guardrails on open sides above 10 feet — toprail at 38-45 inches, midrail, toeboard if anyone works below. Safe access via stairway, ramp, or ladder (not by climbing the cross-braces, except where designed for that). Competent-person inspection before each shift.
Trenches 5 feet or deeper need protective systems — sloping, shoring, shielding, or benching. Spoil pile at least 2 feet back from the edge. Ladder access within 25 feet of any worker in a trench 4 feet or deeper. Daily inspection by a competent person. Atmospheric testing in any excavation 4+ feet deep if there's a possibility of hazardous atmosphere.
Right ladder for the job. Side rails extend 3 feet above the landing for any ladder used to access an upper level. Three-point contact when climbing — two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand. Damaged ladders tagged "Do Not Use" and removed from service.
Certified operator. Annual inspection. Pre-shift check by the operator. Daily and monthly documented inspections. Swing radius barricaded. Outriggers fully extended and pads in place. Load chart visible from the operator's seat.
Hard hats — always. Class E for electrical work. High-vis Class 2 or 3 for any worker exposed to traffic. Eye protection (Z87.1). Safety footwear (ASTM F2413). Hearing protection if 8-hour TWA exceeds 85 dBA. Workers must wear PPE during the inspector's walk — not just "have it available." An inspector who sees a hard hat dangling from a tool belt counts that as not worn, and supervisors get cited alongside the worker for failure to enforce. The written PPE hazard assessment must be specific to each task on site.
Inspector arrives. Show credentials. You can ask for them and verify by calling the local area office. Don't refuse entry — but you can ask for a warrant if you want one (most employers don't; refusing flags you for higher scrutiny).
Scope is discussed. Inspector says why she's there — complaint, programmed, fatality follow-up. You can ask for the complaint document if it's a complaint inspection (employee names are redacted). Walk-around employee representative is selected — usually a designated safety committee member.
Site tour. Inspector walks the area covered by the scope. She takes photos, measurements, interviews workers privately (you cannot listen in on private interviews of non-management employees). Bring a camera — photograph what she photographs.
Workers may be interviewed in private. They can refuse, but most cooperate. Management interviews can be witnessed by counsel. Don't coach workers — that's witness tampering and can become an obstruction charge.
Records requested. 300/300A/301 logs (5 years). Training records. Hazard assessments. Written programs. SDS binder. Equipment inspection records. Provide what's requested promptly. "I'll get it later" doesn't fly — the inspector logs every record request and its response time.
Trade secret claims have to be made on the spot. Bates-stamp anything you provide. Keep copies of everything she takes.
Findings discussed. Inspector gives you a preliminary list of apparent violations. She does not yet have citation authority — that comes from the area director after the report is reviewed. You can dispute findings, provide additional records, or commit to abatement plans on the spot.
You have 6 months for the citation to issue. Once issued, you have 15 working days to contest or accept and pay. Informal settlement conferences with the area director often reduce penalties 30-50% if you act quickly.
The walk-around is half the inspection. The other half happens at a folding table near your office, where the inspector goes through your paper. If the paper isn't there — or it's a mess — that's where citations stack up fastest. A clean records package can shave hours off the inspection and signal that safety is taken seriously.
The osha 300 log excel records every work-related injury or illness requiring more than first aid. Form 300A is the annual summary, signed by an executive. Form 301 is the individual incident report. Keep 5 years on site. Electronic submission required for establishments with 100+ employees in designated high-hazard industries (since 2024).
Each program below must exist, be specific to your site (not a template from the internet with another company's name), and be reviewed annually. Hazard Communication. Emergency Action Plan. Fire Prevention Plan. Lockout/Tagout. Bloodborne Pathogens (if applicable). Respiratory Protection (if applicable). Hearing Conservation (if applicable). Confined Spaces (if applicable). PPE Hazard Assessment.
For every training topic required by a standard — HazCom, LOTO, PPE, fall protection, forklift, etc. — you need name, date, topic, trainer, and trainee signature. Not a sign-in sheet from a 30-minute meeting where 47 workers signed in for 12 topics. Topic-specific, retained for the duration of employment plus 3 years for most standards (5 years for some).
Written PPE hazard assessment (1910.132). Written workplace JHA/JSAs for high-risk tasks. Documented competent-person inspections (scaffolds, excavations, fall protection, cranes). Atmospheric testing logs for confined spaces. Noise dosimetry results if you have a hearing program.
Every hazardous chemical in your facility needs a current Safety Data Sheet. Workers must be able to retrieve any SDS during their shift without a password, without asking a manager, in their primary language if reasonably practicable. Cloud-based SDS systems (Verisk, MSDSonline) are fine — as long as the computer is accessible to all shifts.
OSHA publishes the top 10 every year at the National Safety Council conference. The list barely changes. Fall protection has been #1 every year since 2010. Hazard communication has been in the top 3 for over a decade. If you fix these six categories, you've eliminated about 60% of all citations issued nationally.
Each instance of a violation can be a separate citation. Ten unguarded machines = ten citations, not one. Each citation can be up to $16,131 for a serious violation in 2024 (adjusted annually for inflation). Willful or repeat violations cap at $161,323 per violation. Failure to abate a previous citation: $16,131 per day past the abatement date.
Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act — the General Duty Clause — lets OSHA cite hazards that don't have a specific standard. Heat illness, workplace violence, ergonomics, indoor air quality — there's no rule book, but if a recognized hazard exists and a feasible abatement method exists, you can be cited. Heat illness citations have surged since 2022.
A repeat citation requires the same standard, cited within the previous 5 years, at any of your establishments under the same federal OSHA region (or anywhere if you're a national employer). Penalties multiply by 10x. Two electrical citations five years apart at two different plants under the same EIN — that's a repeat.
Every citation issued is publicly searchable. Your customers, your insurance carrier, and your competitors can pull your inspection history at osha.gov via the osha test establishment search tool. Citations stay public for years. The reputational cost often exceeds the financial penalty.
Most employers don't realize OSHA actively wants to help. The agency runs a free consultation program through state offices (not federal compliance officers — separate staff with separate authority). You can also access free training through the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers — courses like osha 510 training and osha 500 course are designed for safety professionals and supervisors.
Many community colleges host these for low cost. Smaller employers can also tap into the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) once they hit a baseline injury rate below the BLS industry average, which signals to OSHA that you're worth a partnership instead of an inspection.
Day 1-15: the contest clock runs. If you do nothing, the citation becomes a final order and is unappealable. Day 15-30: if you requested an informal conference, you sit down with the area director and your safety attorney. Most employers reduce penalties 30-50% here by showing good-faith abatement and a clean compliance history. Repeat offenders get less leniency. Beyond day 30 the case is either settled, paid, or contested before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
An inspector cannot force entry over your objection without a warrant. But refusing entry signals non-cooperation, escalates the inspection (OSHA will return with a warrant in 24-72 hours), and often results in a broader scope than the original complaint. Most employers consent. If you choose to require a warrant, do it politely and call your safety attorney before the inspector returns.
OSHA 10 is a 10-hour worker-level orientation. OSHA 30 is a 30-hour supervisor-level course covering the same topics in depth, plus management responsibilities. Neither is required by federal OSHA, but many states, employers, and unions require one. See our full guide to what is osha 30 for a topic-by-topic breakdown.
Establishments with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous calendar year are partially exempt from routine recordkeeping under 29 CFR 1904. You still must report fatalities within 8 hours and severe injuries within 24 hours. Some industries are also partially exempt regardless of size — most office and retail SIC codes are listed in Appendix A to Subpart B of 1904.
Most OSHA standards require training records be kept for the duration of employment plus 3 years. A few standards (asbestos, lead, cadmium, and other specific carcinogens) require 30 years of medical and exposure records. Forklift operator records are 3 years from the most recent evaluation. When in doubt, keep records longer than required.
Yes. OSHA accepts complaints from current employees, former employees, employee representatives, family members, and even anonymous sources. The agency evaluates complaint credibility and prioritizes based on the nature of the alleged hazard. Anonymity is protected — the complainant's identity is never disclosed in the inspection record.
You receive a written citation listing each violation, the standard cited, proposed penalty, and abatement date. You have 15 working days from receipt to either pay and abate, request an informal conference with the area director (often reduces penalties), or formally contest before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Doing nothing = the citation becomes final and unappealable after 15 days.
No. OSHA covers most private-sector employers with at least one employee. Small businesses are inspected after complaints, fatalities, severe injuries, and through emphasis programs targeting specific industries. The on-site consultation program specifically prioritizes employers with fewer than 250 employees at one site (or 500 nationwide).
If you're preparing for OSHA 10, OSHA 30, or a safety certification exam, take our free osha test covering general industry topics, hazard communication, walking-working surfaces, PPE, and recordkeeping. The questions mirror typical OSHA outreach training assessments. See also our osha 30 training online walkthrough for course providers and pricing.