OSHA.gov explained: what's on the site and how to actually use it

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is OSHA.gov and who runs it?

OSHA.gov is the official public website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a federal agency inside the U.S. Department of Labor. Congress created OSHA through the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, signed into law on December 29, 1970. ^[1] The agency's mandate, stated in Section 2(b) of that Act, is "to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions."

The site covers federal OSHA jurisdiction, which includes most private-sector employers in the 26 states that have not adopted their own OSHA-approved State Plans. ^[2] If you're in California, Michigan, Washington, or one of the other states with a State Plan, your state agency runs its own site alongside OSHA.gov. Federal OSHA still keeps resources for those workers on OSHA.gov, but the enforceable rules come from the state agency.

The agency had roughly 1,850 inspectors covering approximately 10 million workplaces as of recent budget cycles. ^[3] That math alone explains why compliance assistance and self-service tools exist on the site. OSHA cannot physically inspect every employer, so it invests heavily in free resources so employers can find and fix hazards on their own.

Want the full history of what OSHA stands for and how the agency came to be? That's a separate topic. Here, treat OSHA.gov as a technical library with several distinct departments, each worth knowing.

What are the main sections of OSHA.gov?

The homepage navigation groups content into a handful of top-level areas. Here's what actually lives in each one.

Standards. This is the most-used section for anyone building a compliance program. The full text of every federal OSHA standard sits here, searchable by CFR number or keyword. General industry rules live in 29 CFR 1910, construction in 29 CFR 1926, maritime in 29 CFR 1915 through 1919, and agriculture in 29 CFR 1928. ^[4] The standards pages also link to Letters of Interpretation, which are OSHA's written answers to specific compliance questions from employers and workers. These letters are not regulations themselves, but courts and OSHA review commissions treat them as strong evidence of how OSHA reads a rule.

Enforcement. Here you'll find the OSHA Inspection Data tool, which lets you search your industry's inspection history by NAICS code, state, or year. You can look up what violations companies similar to yours have received and for how much. That's genuinely useful intelligence.

Compliance Assistance. This section holds e-Tools (interactive compliance checklists for specific hazards), QuickCard fact sheets, Small Business resources, and the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program directory. ^[5]

Training. OSHA.gov links to OSHA Training Institute (OTI) courses, the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, and the OSHA Outreach Training Program that issues the OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards. More on this in a dedicated section below.

Workers. A section aimed at workers rather than employers, covering rights, whistleblower protections, and how to file a complaint. Read it even as an employer, because it shows exactly what your workers are being told.

Data and Statistics. Links to injury and illness data from BLS, OSHA's integrated enforcement data, and the annual Summary of OSHA Penalties. ^[6]

The site also has a search bar that works reasonably well if you know the standard number you want. Type "29 CFR 1910.147" and you'll land on the lockout/tagout standard within two clicks. Type "lockout tagout" and you'll get a mix of standards, guidance docs, and training materials.

How do you find a specific OSHA standard on OSHA.gov?

The fastest path is direct URL construction. If you know the standard number, OSHA.gov's standards database is structured so you can get there predictably. Go to osha.gov, click Standards, then pick the part (1910 for general industry, 1926 for construction, and so on) and scroll or Ctrl-F for the subpart. ^[4]

For general industry, the subparts map roughly like this:

Subpart	Topic	Key Standards
D	Walking/Working Surfaces	1910.22, 1910.28, 1910.29
E	Exit Routes	1910.36, 1910.37
G	Occupational Health	1910.95 (noise), 1910.97
H	Hazardous Materials	1910.119 (PSM), 1910.120
I	Personal Protective Equipment	1910.132 to 1910.140
J	General Environmental Controls	1910.146 (confined space), 1910.147 (LOTO)
Z	Toxic and Hazardous Substances	1910.1000 to 1910.1450

Each standard page shows the regulatory text, any appendices, and links to related Letters of Interpretation. The interpretation letters are searchable by standard number. If you're trying to figure out whether a specific practice complies with 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE hazard assessment), searching the interpretation letters for "1910.132" surfaces dozens of real-world scenarios OSHA has already answered.

One thing that trips people up: OSHA sometimes enforces standards under the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act) when no specific standard exists for a recognized hazard. ^[7] The General Duty Clause isn't a numbered CFR standard. If OSHA cites you under it, they're saying the hazard is real and recognized even without a specific rule. The legal test comes from National Realty & Construction Co. v. OSHRC (1973), but for practical purposes, treat any recognized industry hazard as potentially citable even if you can't find a 29 CFR number for it.

What free training does OSHA.gov offer?

This is where OSHA.gov is most underused by small employers. There are three distinct free training pathways on the site.

Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. OSHA funds nonprofit organizations to develop and deliver free training to workers and employers, with a focus on small businesses and hard-to-reach workers. ^[8] The program has produced hundreds of training materials, many downloadable for free in English and Spanish. You can find curriculum packages on topics like silica dust, heat illness, fall protection, and hazard communication. These aren't placeholder slides. They're structured training programs built by universities and worker centers that received federal grant money to develop them.

OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers. OTI is the formal training arm of OSHA. It authorizes a national network of nonprofit OTI Education Centers to deliver OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour Outreach Training courses, plus deeper technical courses like the OSHA 510 course for construction safety professionals. ^[9] These aren't free, but they're standardized and the course completion cards carry weight in enforcement proceedings.

Online OSHA Compliance Courses. OSHA.gov also links to its own no-cost online courses at the OSHA Training Institute's self-paced portal. Courses cover hazard communication, lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, and more. These don't issue OSHA 10 or 30 cards, but they satisfy many employer training requirements under specific standards.

The OSHA training landscape is worth understanding on its own if you need to meet a specific standard's training requirement. Some standards (like 29 CFR 1910.146 for permit-required confined spaces) specify the training topics an employer must cover, but they don't mandate a specific course or card. Others reference "qualified" or "authorized" employees with definitions that tie back to demonstrated competency, not a piece of paper.

OSHA.gov is not the home of the OSHA 30-hour card. That credential comes from completing an OSHA Outreach course through an authorized trainer. If you want the OSHA 30 training requirement spelled out, the specific requirements and acceptable providers are documented separately.

How do you use OSHA.gov's inspection and enforcement data?

The Establishment Search tool on OSHA.gov lets you look up inspection records for any employer by name, state, NAICS code, or date range. ^[6] This is public information. OSHA publishes it. Your competitors can look up your inspection history, and you can look up theirs.

For a small business owner doing hazard identification, the smarter use is to search your NAICS code and read the violation descriptions from companies in your sector. If roofing contractors in your state are getting repeatedly cited under 29 CFR 1926.502 (fall protection systems), that tells you where the agency is focused and where real injuries are happening.

The BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) provides the broader injury rate data. In 2022, private-sector employers reported approximately 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, a rate of 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers. ^[10] That headline number hides big variation by industry. Transportation and warehousing ran 4.3 cases per 100 FTEs. Finance and insurance ran 0.5. If you know your industry's rate, you can compare it to your own recordable incident rate and understand your relative exposure before an inspector does.

One practical use: before filing an OSHA complaint against another employer (or before one lands on you), check the inspection data to see what citations in your industry typically look like, how OSHA classifies them (other-than-serious, serious, willful, repeat), and what penalty ranges apply. Maximum penalties for serious violations rose to $16,550 per violation as of January 2024 (adjusted annually for inflation). ^[11] Willful or repeat violations can hit $165,514 per violation. ^[11]

What is the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program?

This is the most underused resource on OSHA.gov for small businesses, and I'll be direct: if you have under 250 employees, you should know this program exists.

The On-Site Consultation Program sends OSHA-funded safety and health consultants to your workplace for a free, confidential hazard assessment. ^[5] The consultants are not OSHA inspectors. They cannot issue citations. They cannot share findings with federal OSHA enforcement unless they find an imminent danger situation that isn't corrected promptly. The program is funded by OSHA but run by state agencies.

Consultants walk your facility, identify hazards, review your written programs, and tell you what needs fixing. Employers that finish the process and correct identified hazards can apply for SHARP recognition (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program), which comes with a one-year exemption from programmed OSHA inspections. ^[5]

The catch is wait time. Demand for consultants often exceeds availability, and you may wait weeks to months for a visit depending on your state. But for a small business owner who genuinely doesn't know where to start with compliance, a free confidential assessment is hard to beat.

You request a visit through the state consultation program contact listed on OSHA.gov. The directory is under Compliance Assistance > Consultation Services.

Does OSHA.gov have resources specifically for small businesses?

Yes, though they're buried deeper than they should be. The Small Business page under Compliance Assistance is the starting point. ^[5] It links to the On-Site Consultation Program, OSHA's Small Business Handbook (a general overview of compliance obligations), eTools for specific industries, and the QuickCards library.

The eTools are interactive compliance checklists for specific hazard types: electrical safety, ergonomics, machine guarding, bloodborne pathogens, and others. They're not AI-powered or dynamic. They're structured questionnaires that walk you through whether your workplace meets the standard. The bloodborne pathogens eTool, for example, steps through the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1030 point by point. That's useful if you're building or auditing a written Exposure Control Plan.

OSHA's small business outreach also includes free webinars. The schedule lives under Events on OSHA.gov and updates monthly.

One thing OSHA.gov doesn't do well: it won't generate a written safety program for you. It gives you the standard, the guidance, the eTool checklist, and the training slides. But assembling those into an actual written Hazard Communication Program or Lockout/Tagout procedure is work you or your team has to do. If that feels like a 15-hour project, SafetyFolio's safety program generator was built specifically to close that gap for small employers who have read the standard but need help turning it into a document they can actually use and maintain.

For ongoing workplace safety news about new OSHA rulemakings, enforcement priorities, and interpretations, OSHA.gov's Newsroom section posts press releases, new standard proposals, and enforcement statistics.

What is the difference between OSHA.gov and OSHA's State Plan websites?

Twenty-six states (and two U.S. territories) have OSHA-approved State Plans that cover private-sector employers in those states. ^[2] They run their own enforcement agencies and their own websites. OSHA.gov links to each of them.

State Plans must adopt standards that are "at least as effective" as federal OSHA standards. In practice, some states go further. California's Cal/OSHA, for example, has standards for heat illness (8 CCR 3395) and indoor heat that are stricter than anything currently in federal OSHA. Washington's L&I adds requirements for injury prevention programs. If you operate in a State Plan state, you need to check both OSHA.gov and your state agency's site.

For the states without State Plans, federal OSHA has direct jurisdiction over private employers. Federal OSHA also always covers federal government employees nationwide.

Here is the current breakdown:

Category	Count	Examples
State Plan states (private + public sector)	22	CA, WA, MI, OR, HI, UT, AZ
State Plan states (public sector only)	8	IL, ME, NJ, NY
Federal OSHA only	26	TX, FL, GA, OH, PA

Unsure of your state's status? OSHA.gov has a State Plans directory under the About OSHA section. ^[2]

How do OSHA Letters of Interpretation work and where do you find them?

Letters of Interpretation are official written responses OSHA sends to employers, workers, attorneys, or trade associations who ask specific compliance questions. They're not regulations, but they carry real legal weight because they represent the agency's formal reading of its own rules.

You find them on OSHA.gov by going to Laws & Regulations > Letters of Interpretation, then searching by standard number, keyword, or date. There are thousands of them. The archive goes back to the 1980s.

When are they useful? Say you're trying to figure out whether a certain type of machine guarding satisfies 29 CFR 1910.212 for a piece of equipment not specifically named in the standard. Searching interpretation letters for "1910.212" plus a relevant keyword might surface a letter where OSHA answered essentially the same question for another employer. That's not a guarantee you're compliant, but it's the strongest publicly available evidence of how an inspector would read the rule.

A few cautions. Letters are specific to the facts presented in the question. If your situation differs in a material way, the letter might not apply. OSHA has also occasionally revised interpretations when the agency's position changed. Always check whether a letter has been superseded or rescinded using the status indicator on its page.

Want a wider look at what OSHA means in a legal and compliance sense? That's a separate article. The short version: OSHA has both rulemaking authority (it writes regulations) and enforcement authority (it inspects and cites), and the letters of interpretation are where those two roles overlap in a way small employers can actually use.

What workplace injury data can you find through OSHA.gov?

OSHA.gov links out to several data sources rather than hosting most of the raw data itself.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is the primary national dataset. It covers nonfatal injuries and illnesses by industry, employer size, injury type, and worker demographics. The 2022 data showed 2.8 million nonfatal private-sector injuries and illnesses at a rate of 2.7 per 100 FTE workers. ^[10] The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) covers fatal injuries. In 2022, there were 5,486 fatal work injuries in the U.S., a rate of 3.7 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. ^[10]

OSHA's own Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) feeds the establishment inspection data described earlier. OSHA also publishes an annual report on penalties collected and violations cited.

For your own recordkeeping obligations, OSHA.gov has a Recordkeeping section that explains which employers must keep OSHA 300 logs, how to classify injuries and illnesses, and how to calculate your Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate. ^[12] Establishments with 20 or more employees in high-hazard industries must electronically submit their 300A summary data to OSHA each year by March 2 under 29 CFR 1904.41. ^[12] The electronic submission portal is ITA (Injury Tracking Application), reachable directly from OSHA.gov.

How do OSHA.gov's compliance tools compare to paid safety software?

Honest answer: OSHA.gov's free tools are excellent for understanding what the rules are. They're not built to help you manage compliance as an ongoing operational task.

The eTools and QuickCards are static. They don't update when a standard changes, they don't send reminders, and they don't store your hazard assessment results. The inspection data is read-only. The training courses don't track employee completion.

Paid safety management software solves the workflow problem. Products in this space range from simple training record trackers (a few hundred dollars a year) to full-platform safety management systems that can run $10,000 or more annually. For a small business with under 50 employees, the middle ground is often a written program generator plus a basic spreadsheet for training records.

The point at which OSHA.gov's free tools stop being enough is roughly when you have employees whose training needs tracking, incidents that need investigating and recording, and written programs that need annual review. OSHA.gov gives you everything you need to build those programs from scratch. SafetyFolio exists for employers who want a faster path to the finished document without paying for a full-service consultant.

For what it's worth, the OSHA 30-hour online course market has grown a lot, and many of those providers are authorized through OSHA's Outreach program, which is administered and documented through OSHA.gov's authorized trainer verification tool.

What should small business owners do on OSHA.gov first?

If you've never used the site for compliance work, here is a practical sequence that takes about an hour.

First, look up your NAICS code and run an inspection history search for your industry in your state. Read five to ten actual violation descriptions. This tells you what OSHA finds in businesses like yours.

Second, find the standards that apply to your industry. General industry (1910) applies to most non-construction workplaces. If you have workers who do construction tasks, 29 CFR 1926 may also apply. Read the table of contents for the relevant subparts and figure out which ones hit you. For most small businesses, the short list includes hazard communication (1910.1200), emergency action plans (1910.38), PPE (1910.132), and walking-working surfaces (1910.22). ^[4]

Third, check whether any free Susan Harwood training materials exist for your top hazards. Download them. Use them for your next toolbox talk.

Fourth, consider requesting an On-Site Consultation visit if you have genuine uncertainty about hazard controls. It's free. It's confidential. It covers the same ground an inspector would, without the citation risk.

Fifth, bookmark the OSHA Newsroom and check it once a quarter for new rulemakings or enforcement guidance that touches your industry. OSHA has been active on heat illness, silica dust, and electronic recordkeeping requirements in recent cycles.

The Standards section of OSHA.gov, the inspection data tool, and the consultation program directory are the three features that deliver the most value to a small business that isn't yet using any paid compliance tools.

Frequently asked questions

Is OSHA.gov the only official OSHA website?

Yes, osha.gov is the only official federal OSHA website. But if you're in one of the 26 states or territories with an OSHA-approved State Plan, your state agency runs its own separate site that you also need to check. State Plan sites host state-specific standards and enforcement data. OSHA.gov links to each state plan agency under its State Plans directory.

Can I get free OSHA training through OSHA.gov?

Yes. OSHA.gov links to free self-paced online courses through the OSHA Training Institute, plus hundreds of free training materials developed through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. These free resources don't issue OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 cards. For those credentials, you need a paid course through an authorized OSHA Outreach Training provider, which you can also find listed on OSHA.gov.

What is the difference between OSHA.gov training and an OSHA 10 or 30 card?

OSHA.gov offers free informational and compliance training that doesn't result in a card. The OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards come from completing a course through an authorized OSHA Outreach Training Program provider, which charges a fee. The card is proof of finishing a structured curriculum. It's a credential. The free OSHA.gov courses satisfy many training requirements under specific standards but don't produce a card employers can display or file.

How do I find OSHA inspection records for my industry?

Go to OSHA.gov and use the Establishment Search tool under the Enforcement section. You can search by NAICS code, state, date range, or company name. Results show inspection type, violation classifications, and penalty amounts. Searching by NAICS code for your industry is one of the fastest ways to see what hazards OSHA actually cites in businesses like yours.

What are the current maximum OSHA penalties?

As of January 2024, the maximum penalty for a serious violation is $16,550 per violation. Willful or repeat violations can reach $165,514 per violation. Penalties are adjusted annually for inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act. You can verify current amounts on OSHA.gov under the Laws & Regulations section or by searching 'OSHA penalty adjustments' on the site.

Does OSHA.gov have written safety program templates I can download?

OSHA.gov has model programs and sample written plans for some specific standards, including a model Hazard Communication Program and a model Lockout/Tagout procedure framework. These are starting points, not complete plug-and-play documents. They need customization to reflect your specific equipment, chemicals, and procedures. The eTools section has interactive checklists that help you identify what your written programs need to cover.

What is the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program and is it really free?

Yes, it's genuinely free for small and medium-sized employers (typically under 250 employees at a site, 500 company-wide). Funded by OSHA and run by state agencies, consultants visit your workplace, identify hazards, and review your written programs with no citation authority. Findings are confidential and not shared with OSHA enforcement. Employers who finish the process and fix hazards can apply for SHARP recognition, which includes a one-year exemption from programmed inspections.

How do I find OSHA Letters of Interpretation on OSHA.gov?

Go to Laws & Regulations on OSHA.gov and select Letters of Interpretation. Search by CFR number (e.g., 1910.147) or keyword. Letters represent OSHA's formal interpretation of its own standards and carry significant weight in enforcement proceedings. Check each letter's status indicator to confirm it hasn't been superseded. The archive goes back to the 1980s and holds thousands of letters covering highly specific compliance scenarios.

How often does OSHA.gov update its standards?

Standards change when OSHA completes a formal rulemaking, which can take years from proposed rule to final rule. The OSHA.gov Newsroom posts final rules when published. Standards text on the site is updated after rules take effect. If you're watching a specific area (heat illness, silica, electronic recordkeeping), bookmark the relevant regulatory agenda entry on OSHA.gov and check the Newsroom quarterly. Enforcement interpretations can also shift through new Letters of Interpretation without a formal rule change.

Does OSHA.gov apply to construction workers or just general industry?

Both. OSHA.gov hosts standards for general industry (29 CFR 1910), construction (29 CFR 1926), maritime (29 CFR 1915-1919), and agriculture (29 CFR 1928). The training resources, inspection data, compliance tools, and consultation program all cover construction employers. Many small businesses that are primarily general industry also have employees who do occasional construction tasks, which can trigger 1926 standards for those activities.

What is the electronic recordkeeping requirement and where do I submit on OSHA.gov?

Under 29 CFR 1904.41, establishments with 20 or more employees in high-hazard industries must electronically submit their OSHA 300A summary data annually by March 2. Establishments with 100 or more employees in the highest-hazard industries must also submit 300 log and 301 incident report data. Submissions go through OSHA's Injury Tracking Application (ITA), reachable directly through OSHA.gov's recordkeeping section.

What does OSHA.gov say about heat illness requirements for employers?

Federal OSHA currently enforces heat illness under the General Duty Clause, meaning no specific heat standard exists yet at the federal level, though a proposed rule has been in development. OSHA.gov has a dedicated heat illness prevention page with employer guidance, water-rest-shade recommendations, and a free Heat Safety Tool app. If you're in California, Washington, or a handful of other State Plan states, your state has an enforceable heat standard that supersedes the federal guidance.

Can I verify if an OSHA trainer or card is legitimate on OSHA.gov?

Yes. OSHA.gov has a trainer verification tool for the Outreach Training Program. You can confirm whether an individual trainer is currently authorized to deliver OSHA 10 and 30 courses. For OTI Education Center courses, the site lists all authorized centers by state. If a provider claims to offer an OSHA 30 card for a suspiciously low price or guarantees completion without the required contact hours, check them against the OSHA.gov authorized trainer database before paying.

What should I do if I find a hazard that isn't covered by a specific OSHA standard?

OSHA can still cite you under the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act) for any recognized hazard that is causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm, even if no specific standard addresses it. OSHA.gov's Letters of Interpretation sometimes clarify when the agency has applied the General Duty Clause to specific situations. The practical answer: fix recognized hazards regardless of whether a numbered standard exists for them.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Labor, OSH Act of 1970: OSH Act signed December 29, 1970; Section 2(b) mandate quote
2. OSHA.gov, State Plans: 26 states and territories have OSHA-approved State Plans covering private-sector employers
3. OSHA.gov, About OSHA: OSHA had roughly 1,850 inspectors covering approximately 10 million workplaces
4. OSHA.gov, Standards (29 CFR Parts): General industry in 29 CFR 1910, construction in 29 CFR 1926, maritime 1915-1919, agriculture 1928
5. OSHA.gov, On-Site Consultation Program: Free confidential consultation for small and medium businesses; SHARP recognition provides exemption from programmed inspections
6. OSHA.gov, Enforcement Data: OSHA Establishment Search tool provides public inspection records by NAICS code, state, and date
7. OSHA.gov, General Duty Clause: Section 5(a)(1) OSH Act General Duty Clause covers recognized hazards without a specific standard
8. OSHA.gov, Susan Harwood Training Grant Program: OSHA funds nonprofits to deliver free training with focus on small businesses and hard-to-reach workers
9. OSHA.gov, Outreach Training Program: OSHA authorizes OTI Education Centers to deliver OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour Outreach Training courses
10. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses 2022: 2022: 2.8 million nonfatal private-sector injuries at 2.7 per 100 FTE; 5,486 fatal work injuries at 3.7 per 100,000 FTE
11. OSHA.gov, Penalties: As of January 2024, serious violation maximum is $16,550; willful/repeat maximum is $165,514 per violation
12. OSHA.gov, Recordkeeping (29 CFR 1904): 29 CFR 1904.41 requires establishments with 20+ employees in high-hazard industries to submit 300A data electronically by March 2 annually