Framework Safety & Workforce
OSHA written programs
OSHA has no single rule that says every employer must have a written safety program, but dozens of individual standards in 29 CFR 1910 (general industry), 1926 (construction), 1915 (shipyards), and 1917 and 1918 (marine terminals and longshoring) each require a written program, plan, or procedure when the hazard is present.
The ones that show up in almost every workplace are the written hazard communication program (1910.1200), the emergency action plan and fire prevention plan (1910.38 and 1910.39, required in writing for employers with more than 10 employees), the energy control (lockout/tagout) program with machine-specific procedures (1910.147), the respiratory protection program (1910.134), the PPE hazard assessment certification (1910.132), and the bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan (1910.1030).
Others apply by hazard: hearing conservation, permit-required confined spaces, process safety management, powered industrial truck training, fall protection in construction, silica and other substance-specific exposure control plans.
In writing, each standard spells out its own required contents. A compliance officer will ask for the written program during an inspection, compare it against the standard's elements, and then check that employees were trained on it and that it matches what is happening on the floor.
A missing or generic written program is one of the most frequent citations, with hazard communication and lockout/tagout consistently in OSHA's top ten.
Who has to comply
Private-sector employers in the US covered by the OSH Act (nearly all) and, under State Plans, state and local government employers. Which written programs apply depends on the hazards and operations present, not on company size, with a few exceptions (emergency action plans may be communicated orally where there are 10 or fewer employees).
What you have to write
Documents on this site that OSHA written programs requires or expects, each with who must have it, the review cycle and the obligations that cite it.
- Hazard Communication Program Workplace
- Emergency Action Plan Workplace
- Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan Workplace
- Lockout/Tagout Energy Control Program Workplace
- Contractor Written Safety Program (ISNetworld and Avetta) Workplace
What the assessor asks to see
Written hazard communication program with chemical inventory, safety data sheets, labeling method, and training records; emergency action plan and fire prevention plan with alarm system, evacuation routes, and designated roles; energy control program with equipment-specific procedures, authorized employee training, and annual periodic inspection certifications; respiratory protection program with medical evaluations, fit tests, and program administrator designation; PPE hazard assessment certification and training; bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan with annual review and vaccination records; other hazard-specific programs as applicable (confined space, hearing conservation, process safety management, fall protection, silica, lead); OSHA 300 logs, 300A annual summary postings, and electronic submissions where required; training records and competent or qualified person designations; injury and illness incident investigations.
Where the requirement sits: 1910.1200(e) written HazCom programme; 1910.147(c)(4) energy control procedures, (c)(7) training; 1910.1030(c) exposure control plan reviewed annually; 1910.38 EAP; 1910.134(c); 1910.132(d)(2)
Which programs must be in writing
Look at the standard text: if it says the program must be written, in writing, or documented and certified, an oral or informal practice will not satisfy an inspector.
Common written requirements in general industry include hazard communication (1910.1200(e)), emergency action and fire prevention plans (1910.38, 1910.39), energy control (1910.147(c)), respiratory protection (1910.134(c)), PPE hazard assessment (1910.132(d)), bloodborne pathogens (1910.1030(c)), permit-required confined spaces (1910.146(c)), hearing conservation (1910.95), and process safety management (1910.119).
Construction adds site-specific plans such as fall protection and silica exposure control. State Plans may require an overall injury and illness prevention program in addition.
What AllyMatter does here
Controls each written programme with its annual review and proves distribution and acknowledgment; training records attach as evidence.
AllyMatter publishes this site.
Assessors
Who assesses OSHA written programs
OSHA compliance safety and health officers, or State Plan inspectors (government inspection). No certification exists; voluntary recognition programs such as VPP and SHARP involve OSHA or consultation program evaluation. (government enforcement).
No firm has claimed a OSHA written programs assessor listing yet. Claim yours →
Consultants
Who helps with OSHA written programs
A very large safety consultant ecosystem exists, from individual certified safety professionals to national firms and insurance carrier loss control services. Consultants perform hazard assessments, identify which standards apply, write the program set, develop machine-specific lockout procedures, deliver training, and run mock inspections.
OSHA's free On-Site Consultation Program for small and midsize employers also identifies gaps confidentially, separate from enforcement.
Firms that name this framework in their own material. Listings we have not verified yet come from public filings and partner lists. Each firm can confirm its own.
No firm has claimed a OSHA written programs consultant listing yet. Claim yours →
Software
Tools for OSHA written programs
Tools that name this framework in their own material.
Related reading
- OSHA's written hazcom program: are you in compliance?Explains why the most cited hazcom failure is a written programme that does not match what the site actually does.Safety+Health magazine
- OSHA's Top 10 most frequently cited standards, FY 2025 final dataCitation counts by standard, which tells you which written programmes inspectors actually open first.Safety+Health magazine
- OSH law primer, part IX: hazard communicationEmployment-law walkthrough of what the written hazcom programme must contain and how OSHA reads the training obligation.Ogletree Deakins
Independent third-party explainers, chosen by hand. Not affiliated with this site and not paid placements. All links are nofollow.
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From the publisher
Run the Policy Side of OSHA Written Programs in AllyMatter
Approve the policies OSHA written programs asks for, keep every version, and record a named acknowledgment from each person who has to read them.