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The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 covers most private-sector employers in the United States — with one employee, in any industry. Coverage comes either directly from federal OSHA or through an OSHA-approved state plan (which must be at least as protective). There is no small-business exemption from the law itself: size only softens a few duties, such as routine recordkeeping for employers with 10 or fewer employees.This page lists the obligations that apply to essentially every covered employer — the General Duty Clause, severe-injury reporting deadlines, posting requirements, training, PPE, and whistleblower protection — with the deadlines that trip employers up most often. For hazard-specific rules, see OSHA standards by industry and the written programs they require.
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Updated on July 14, 2026
The General Duty Clause: the obligation behind all others
Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act — the General Duty Clause — requires every employer to furnish a workplace “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.” Section 5(a)(2) adds the duty to comply with all applicable OSHA standards. Together they mean: follow the specific rules, and where no specific rule exists, you must still control recognized serious hazards.
OSHA uses the General Duty Clause to cite hazards that no standard covers explicitly — heat illness, workplace violence, ergonomic hazards — when the hazard is recognized (in your industry or by your own documents), serious, and feasibly correctable. The practical consequence: you can only demonstrate you addressed “recognized hazards” by identifying them, which is what a documented hazard assessment does.
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Create my accountFreeReporting to OSHA: the deadlines you cannot miss
Under 29 CFR 1904.39, every employer — including those exempt from routine recordkeeping — must report severe incidents directly to OSHA, by phone (1-800-321-OSHA), online, or at the nearest area office.
| Event | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Work-related fatality | Within 8 hours | Report deaths occurring within 30 days of the work-related incident |
| In-patient hospitalization | Within 24 hours | Formal admission for care — emergency-room-only treatment or observation does not trigger the report; applies if it occurs within 24 hours of the incident |
| Amputation | Within 24 hours | Including fingertip amputations with or without bone loss; within 24 hours of the incident |
| Loss of an eye | Within 24 hours | Physical loss of the eye (not loss of vision alone); within 24 hours of the incident |
Posting requirements: what must be on your wall
OSHA requires several documents to be physically displayed where employees can see them:
- The OSHA “Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law” poster (publication 3165) — permanently, in a conspicuous place, in every workplace. It is free to download from osha.gov; employers are never required to pay for it. Spanish and other-language versions are available (and required practice where workers do not read English).
- The OSHA Form 300A annual summary — every year from February 1 to April 30, signed by a company executive, for the previous calendar year (employers required to keep records).
- OSHA citations — if you receive one, it must be posted at or near the place of the violation for 3 working days or until the violation is abated, whichever is longer.
- State-plan states may require an additional state poster — check your state.
Training workers — and paying for their protection
Dozens of OSHA standards include training requirements: hazard communication, forklifts, lockout/tagout, bloodborne pathogens, fall protection, and more. Across all of them, OSHA’s position is constant: training must be delivered in a language and vocabulary workers understand. Training a Spanish-speaking crew in English-only does not comply. Keep dated, signed training records — they are among the first documents an inspector requests.
On protective equipment, 29 CFR 1910.132 requires employers to assess the workplace for PPE needs (a written, certified hazard assessment), select appropriate equipment, and — under 1910.132(h) — provide required PPE at no cost to employees. Limited exceptions exist (ordinary safety-toe footwear and prescription eyewear the employee can wear off-site, everyday clothing, weather gear), but the rule is the rule: hard hats, gloves, respirators, fall harnesses and hearing protection required by the job are paid for by the employer.
Workers’ rights and whistleblower protection
The OSH Act gives workers enforceable rights, and employer obligations mirror each of them. Workers may file a confidential complaint with OSHA and request an inspection; they may talk privately with the inspector; they may access their own exposure and medical records, and the establishment’s injury log; and they may refuse a task only in narrow imminent-danger conditions defined by case law.
Section 11(c) prohibits retaliation — firing, demotion, discipline, schedule cuts — against a worker for exercising any of these rights, including reporting an injury. A worker has 30 days to file an 11(c) retaliation complaint. For the employer, the practical rules are: never discourage injury reporting (incentive programs that penalize reporting violate 1904.35), and document legitimate reasons for any adverse action against an employee who recently raised a safety concern.
Inspections and penalties: what enforcement looks like
OSHA inspections are conducted without advance notice (giving unauthorized advance notice is itself an offense). Priorities, in order: imminent danger, fatalities and severe injuries, worker complaints and referrals, then programmed inspections targeting high-hazard industries. An inspection has three parts — opening conference, walkaround, closing conference — and you have the right to accompany the inspector and to require a warrant, though most employers do not.
Citations are classified as other-than-serious, serious, repeat or willful; penalty maximums are adjusted annually for inflation, and repeat or willful violations can cost roughly ten times a serious one. What consistently reduces exposure: documented hazard assessments, completed corrective actions with dates, training records, and accurate injury records — exactly the paper trail OSHA compliance software maintains. Employers with up to 250 employees can also request a free, no-citation consultation through OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program.
Summary: the employer’s OSHA checklist
| Obligation | Legal basis | Key deadline / trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace free from recognized serious hazards | OSH Act §5(a)(1) | Continuous |
| Comply with applicable standards | OSH Act §5(a)(2), 29 CFR 1910/1926… | Continuous |
| Report fatality | 29 CFR 1904.39 | 8 hours |
| Report hospitalization, amputation, eye loss | 29 CFR 1904.39 | 24 hours |
| Keep OSHA 300/301/300A records (unless exempt) | 29 CFR part 1904 | Log within 7 days; see recordkeeping guide |
| Post 300A summary | 29 CFR 1904.32 | February 1 – April 30 |
| Display OSHA poster (3165) | 29 CFR 1903.2 | Permanent |
| Train workers in a language they understand | Standard-specific + OSHA policy | Before exposure; refreshers per standard |
| Provide required PPE at no cost | 29 CFR 1910.132(h) | Before task assignment |
| No retaliation for safety activity | OSH Act §11(c) | Continuous |
Frequently asked questions
- Does OSHA apply to my small business?
If you have at least one employee and are in the private sector, almost certainly yes — directly under federal OSHA or under an OSHA-approved state plan. Size changes only a few duties: employers with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the previous year are exempt from routine OSHA 300 recordkeeping and from programmed inspections in some cases, but the General Duty Clause, standards, severe-injury reporting, poster, training and PPE obligations all still apply.
- What is the General Duty Clause in simple terms?
- When do I have to call OSHA after an accident?
- What posters am I required to display?
- Do I really have to train workers in Spanish (or another language)?
- Can I make employees pay for their PPE?
- What happens if an employee reports me to OSHA?
- How do I prepare for an OSHA inspection?
Official sources
The regulatory information on this page is based on the official texts and references below.
- OSH Act of 1970, Section 5 — Duties (General Duty Clause) — OSHA
- 29 CFR 1904.39 — Reporting fatalities and severe injuries — OSHA
- OSHA poster (publication 3165) — free download — OSHA
- Workers’ rights and whistleblower protection — OSHA
- Employer responsibilities — OSHA
Related reading
All posts- Oct 17, 2026OSHA repeat violation: what triggers one and what it costsCase study
- Oct 10, 2026Respirator medical evaluation requirements: what has to happen before the fit testOSHA update
- Oct 7, 2026OSHA's small business exemption: what it covers, and what it never removesOSHA update
Related pages
- OSHA 300, 300A and 301 recordkeeping
- How to conduct a hazard assessment
- Written safety program templates
- OSHA standards by industry
- What is OSHA compliance?
- OSHA compliance software
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Create my accountFreeDownload on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle PlayContentsFrequently asked questionsON THIS PAGE — OSHA REQUIREMENTSThe General Duty Clause: the obligation behind all othersReporting to OSHA: the deadlines you cannot missPosting requirements: what must be on your wallTraining workers — and paying for their protectionWorkers’ rights and whistleblower protectionInspections and penalties: what enforcement looks likeSummary: the employer’s OSHA checklistFrequently asked questionsThe intelligent OSHA companion that automates your field compliance. Mobile app + web console + specialized safety AI agent, built for US workplaces.
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