OSHA 10 General Industry: Complete Safety Training Guide

Understanding workplace safety is non negotiable. Whether you’re starting a new job in a trade or managing a team, knowing the rules of the road keeps everyone safe and productive. This guide breaks down the core safety concepts that are foundational to the osha 10 general industry training program. We’ll explore everything from recognizing hazards to understanding your rights, giving you a comprehensive overview of what it takes to maintain a safe work environment.

What is OSHA and Why Does It Matter?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is a federal agency in the United States tasked with a critical mission: ensuring safe and healthful working conditions for all employees. Created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA sets and enforces standards and provides training, outreach, education, and assistance. If you’re just getting started with OSHA training, our OSHA 10 General Industry certification guide explains what the card is, who needs it, and how to get it.

Since its inception, OSHA’s impact has been profound. While an estimated 14,000 workers were killed on the job in 1970, that number dropped to 5,333 in 2019, even as the American workforce doubled. This progress is a direct result of enforceable safety standards and a collective focus on hazard prevention.

Employer Responsibilities

Under OSHA, employers have the primary responsibility to provide a safe workplace. This is known as the General Duty Clause, which requires them to furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Key responsibilities include:

• Complying with all relevant OSHA standards.

• Conducting regular inspections to identify and correct unsafe conditions.

• Providing safety training in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.

• Informing employees about chemical hazards through training, labels, and safety data sheets.

• Providing required personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost to workers.

• Keeping accurate records of work related injuries and illnesses.

• Not retaliating against workers for exercising their safety rights.

Worker Rights

As a worker, you have the right to a safe job, and OSHA empowers you to ensure it. Your fundamental rights include:

• The right to a safe and healthful workplace.

• The right to receive information and training about job hazards.

• The right to review records of work related injuries and illnesses.

• The right to file a confidential complaint with OSHA to have your workplace inspected.

• The right to exercise your legal rights without fear of retaliation.

Understanding these rights is a cornerstone of any osha 10 general program, as it empowers you to be an active participant in your own safety.

The Core of a Safe Workplace: Your Safety and Health Program

A safety and health program is a systematic plan to find and fix workplace hazards before they can cause injury or illness. Rather than reacting to accidents, it’s a proactive approach that involves everyone, from top management to the newest hire. An effective program can reduce injury and illness costs by 20 to 40 percent.

These programs are built on core elements like management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification, hazard prevention, education, and continuous improvement. When a company truly commits to safety, it becomes part of the culture, not just a rulebook.

Recognizing and Preventing Hazards on the Job

The heart of workplace safety is hazard recognition and prevention. This involves a four step process: anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling workplace conditions that could cause harm. This proactive mindset is a key takeaway from osha 10 general training.

Industrial hygiene is the science dedicated to this process, focusing on health hazards like chemical exposures, noise, and extreme temperatures. Industrial hygienists work to control environmental factors that could lead to sickness or long term health issues, ensuring your job doesn’t compromise your well being down the road.

Common Workplace Hazards (Often Covered in OSHA 10 General Training)

Let’s dive into some of the most common hazards you’ll learn about in safety training.

Slips, Trips, and Falls: Walking Working Surfaces and Fall Protection

Walking working surfaces are any place you walk or work, including floors, stairs, ladders, and roofs. Keeping them clear of clutter, spills, and defects is crucial. Slips, trips, and falls account for about 15% of all accidental workplace deaths, making good housekeeping a life saving practice.

Fall protection refers to the systems used to prevent falls from heights. Falls are the leading cause of death for construction workers, accounting for 351 fatalities in 2020 alone. OSHA standards are strict: general industry requires fall protection at heights of 4 feet or more, while construction requires it at 6 feet or more. Despite this, fall protection failures are consistently the most cited OSHA violation, with 7,271 citations in fiscal year 2023. This is a major focus in any construction or osha 10 general industry course. For a quick overview of what to expect on the exam, see our OSHA 10 test format and passing score tips.

Emergency Preparedness: Exit Routes, EAPs, and Fire Safety

When an emergency strikes, a clear plan can save lives.

• Exit Routes: An exit route is a continuous, unobstructed path out of a building to safety. Workplaces must have at least two exit routes, and they must always be clear, well lit, and properly marked.

• Emergency Action Plan (EAP): An EAP is a written document that details the procedures to follow in an emergency, like a fire, chemical spill, or natural disaster. It covers how to report emergencies, evacuate, and account for all employees.

• Fire Prevention Plan (FPP): While an EAP tells you what to do during a fire, an FPP focuses on stopping fires before they start. It involves identifying fire hazards, controlling flammable materials and ignition sources, and maintaining fire suppression equipment.

• Fire Protection: This includes the systems in place to control a fire if one occurs, such as fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, and fire alarms. A properly working sprinkler system is incredibly effective, reducing the fire death rate in properties by 87%.

Electrical Safety: Understanding and Respecting the Risks

Electrical hazards like exposed wires, overloaded circuits, and improper grounding can lead to shock, electrocution, burns, and fires. Electrocution is one of OSHA’s “Fatal Four” causes of construction deaths.

Key safety practices include de energizing equipment before maintenance using Lockout Tagout procedures, which prevent an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year. Using Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs), inspecting cords for damage, and maintaining a clear 3 foot clearance in front of electrical panels are all critical practices covered in osha 10 general training. For deeper how‑tos and checklists, browse our electrical safety articles.

Working with Materials and Machinery

Moving materials and operating machinery are daily tasks in many jobs, but they come with risks.

• Material Handling: This involves everything from manually lifting a box to operating a forklift. Improper manual lifting is a leading cause of back injuries. The key is to lift with your legs, keep the load close, and use mechanical aids like dollies or forklifts whenever possible. Forklift accidents alone cause about 85 fatalities and 34,000 serious injuries annually in the U.S.

• Machine Guarding: Any machine part, function, or process that could cause injury must be safeguarded. Guards prevent contact with hazards like rotating parts, nip points, and sparks. Inadequate machine guarding is consistently one of OSHA’s top 10 most cited violations.

• Ergonomics: This is the science of fitting the job to the worker. Poor ergonomics leads to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which account for roughly 30% of all workplace injuries requiring time off. Adjusting workstation heights, using ergonomic tools, and varying tasks can prevent these painful and costly injuries.

Chemical and Biological Hazards

Workplaces can expose employees to a variety of chemical and biological dangers. If your role involves refrigerants, make sure you understand EPA 608 equipment classifications and how they affect safe handling and compliance.

• Hazard Communication (HazCom): Often called the “Right to Know” law, this standard ensures workers are informed about the hazardous chemicals they work with. It requires proper container labeling, access to Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), and employee training. HazCom is another frequent flyer on OSHA’s top 10 violation list, showing the constant need for vigilance.

• Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT): This broad category includes substances that are flammable, corrosive, toxic, or reactive. Safe handling involves proper storage, segregation of incompatible materials, and having emergency plans for spills.

• Bloodborne Pathogens: These are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause diseases like Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV. The OSHA standard protects workers in healthcare and other jobs with potential exposure by requiring universal precautions, PPE, and offering the Hepatitis B vaccine at no cost.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Your Last Line of Defense

Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, is gear worn to minimize exposure to hazards. This includes hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, respirators, and safety footwear. PPE is considered the last line of defense, used when engineering and administrative controls cannot eliminate a hazard completely. Each day, about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain a job related eye injury, but 90% of these could be prevented with proper eye protection. Learning how to properly select, use, and maintain PPE is a vital skill. You can explore more job‑site PPE and hazard‑prevention best practices in our Safety articles.

A solid understanding of these safety principles is the goal of any osha 10 general training program. For hands on learners and career switchers, getting certified has never been easier. Platforms like SkillCat offer accredited training that you can complete on your phone, making it simple to gain the credentials you need.

Know Your Rights: How to File a Complaint with OSHA

If you believe your workplace has serious unaddressed hazards, you have the right to file a confidential complaint with OSHA.

1. Gather Information: Note the specifics of the hazard, its location, and who is at risk.

2. Choose a Method: You can file online, by phone (1 800 321 OSHA), or by sending a signed, written complaint via mail or fax to your local OSHA office. A signed complaint is more likely to result in an onsite inspection.

3. Request Confidentiality: OSHA will keep your identity confidential from your employer if you request it.

4. Follow Up: If OSHA inspects, they will inform you of the results. If you face any retaliation for filing, contact OSHA immediately to file a whistleblower complaint.

Frequently Asked Questions about OSHA 10 General Training

What is the osha 10 general industry card?

The osha 10 general industry card is a wallet card issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. It shows that you have completed the 10 hour OSHA Outreach Training Program for general industry, covering basic hazard recognition and prevention.

Who needs osha 10 general training?

This training is designed for entry level workers in most industries outside of construction, such as manufacturing, healthcare, warehousing, and retail. Some states, employers, or unions may require it as a baseline safety credential.

How long is an osha 10 general card valid?

The Department of Labor card itself does not expire. However, many employers or local regulations require workers to retake the training every three to five years to stay current on safety practices.

What topics are covered in an osha 10 general course?

A typical course covers an introduction to OSHA, worker rights, walking working surfaces, emergency action plans, hazard communication, electrical safety, PPE, and machine guarding, along with elective topics relevant to general industry.

Can you get your osha 10 general certification online?

Yes, you can complete OSHA authorized training online. Online courses offer the flexibility to learn at your own pace from anywhere. For example, SkillCat provides access to an authorized OSHA 10 course that fits right into a busy schedule. For everything you need to know about pricing, card issuance, and approved providers, read our complete guide to costs, card, and providers.

Is osha 10 general the same as OSHA 10 Construction?

No, they are different. The osha 10 general industry course is tailored for workers in fields like manufacturing and services, while the OSHA 10 Construction course focuses on hazards specific to construction sites, such as scaffolding, trenching, and cranes.