ISNetworld doesn't publish a single static list of required written programs. Your list is dynamically generated based on your declared scope of work and the specific requirements of each hiring client you're connected to on the platform. But every contractor needs to start somewhere — and the programs required by trade are largely predictable based on OSHA's framework and ISNetworld's established RAVS review criteria.

This guide breaks down the written safety programs ISNetworld requires by trade. Mandatory programs are those required by OSHA regulation and virtually always on every contractor's list. Optional or trade-conditional programs are commonly required for specific scopes or specific hiring clients, but may not be on your list depending on your work type.

Important: Your actual required program list is in your ISNetworld RAVS dashboard — always check there first. This guide is a starting framework. Hiring clients can and do add requirements beyond what's shown here.

Universal Programs — Every Contractor Needs These

Regardless of trade, ISNetworld RAVS requires these written programs for virtually all contractors. Missing any of them will immediately show as a gap in your RAVS score:

  • Hazard Communication Program (29 CFR 1926.59 / 1910.1200) — chemical inventory, SDS management, container labeling, employee training. Every contractor that uses any chemical product needs this. It must list your actual chemicals, not generic "construction chemicals."
  • Emergency Action Plan (29 CFR 1926.35) — evacuation procedures, emergency contacts, assembly points, emergency roles. Must be site-specific for permanent locations and adaptable for field work.
  • PPE Program (29 CFR 1926.28) — hazard assessment by job task, PPE selection criteria, inspection and replacement procedures, employee training records.
  • Safety Training Program (29 CFR 1926.21) — new hire orientation, trade-specific hazard training, toolbox talk frequency, training documentation procedures.
  • Incident Investigation and Reporting Program — procedures for investigating injuries and near-misses, OSHA 300 log maintenance (if 10+ employees), OSHA reporting timelines (fatality within 8 hours, in-patient hospitalization within 24 hours).
  • Drug and Alcohol Policy — required by most hiring clients; policies for pre-employment testing, reasonable suspicion, post-incident testing, and return-to-work procedures.

General Contractor / Construction Manager Programs

General contractors have the broadest required program list because their scope touches the most hazard categories. A GC's RAVS requirements typically include all universal programs plus:

General Contractor — Mandatory
  • Fall Protection Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart M) — leading edge work, scaffold, ladder, floor opening, rooftop. Must include rescue procedures and equipment inspection schedules.
  • Lockout/Tagout Program (29 CFR 1910.147 / 1926.417) — energy control for mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems. Equipment-specific LOTO procedures required for each machine type on-site.
  • Excavation and Trenching Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P) — soil classification procedures, protective system selection (sloping, shoring, shielding), competent person requirements, utility location (811), access/egress within 25 feet.
  • Scaffold Safety Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart L) — erection/dismantling procedures, inspection protocols, competent person designation, fall protection integration.
  • Electrical Safety Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart K) — temporary power, extension cord management, GFCI requirements, qualified vs. unqualified worker boundaries.
  • Tool and Equipment Safety Program — powered hand tools, powder-actuated tools, aerial lifts, material handling equipment. Operator qualification requirements.
  • Fire Prevention Plan (29 CFR 1926.24) — hot work permit procedures, fire watch requirements, extinguisher placement and inspection.
General Contractor — Common Client Requirements
  • Silica Exposure Control Plan (29 CFR 1926.1153) — required for grinding, cutting, drilling concrete/masonry
  • Lead Safety Program (29 CFR 1926.62) — for renovation or demolition in pre-1978 structures
  • Asbestos Awareness (29 CFR 1926.1101) — for any work in pre-1980 commercial buildings
  • Environmental Management Plan — spill prevention, stormwater management, waste disposal
  • Driving and Motor Vehicle Safety Program — required by most major operators
  • Heat Illness Prevention Plan — OSHA National Emphasis Program enforcement increasing

Electrical Contractor Programs

Electrical Contractor — Mandatory
  • Electrical Safety Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart K + NFPA 70E) — energized work practices, approach boundaries, qualified vs. unqualified worker designation, safe work conditions for energized work.
  • Arc Flash Program (NFPA 70E, referenced by OSHA General Duty Clause) — incident energy calculations or category-based PPE selection, arc flash boundary establishment, labeling requirements. Required by virtually all industrial and utility hiring clients.
  • Lockout/Tagout Program (29 CFR 1910.147) — written procedures for de-energization of each electrical panel, switchgear, and motor control center type your crew works on. Single-source programs pass; multi-source programs need more detail.
  • Fall Protection Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart M) — electrical contractors work on ladders, scaffolds, and aerial lifts. Fall protection program must specifically cover aerial lift operation and positioning-device systems used in electrical work.
  • Confined Space Entry Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA) — electrical contractors enter vaults, manholes, and underground duct runs. Permit-required procedures with atmospheric testing required.
Electrical Contractor — Common Client Requirements
  • Silica Control Plan — drilling into concrete or masonry for conduit runs
  • Lead Safety — soldering in older facilities with lead plumbing interfaces
  • Aerial Lift Safety Program — if bucket trucks or scissors lifts used
  • Respiratory Protection Program — for confined space and underground work

See our full guide for electrical contractors: OSHA Safety Programs for Electrical Contractors →

Roofing Contractor Programs

Roofing Contractor — Mandatory
  • Fall Protection Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart M) — the most critical program for roofers. Must cover: low-slope roofing (warning line system + safety monitoring, or PFAS), steep-slope roofing (PFAS required), roof edge protection, skylight protection, floor opening covers. RAVS reviewers examine roofing fall protection programs closely.
  • Fire Prevention Plan (29 CFR 1926.24) — hot tar kettles, torch-applied membrane, propane use on-roof. Hot work permit requirements, fire watch, kettle operation procedures.
  • Hazard Communication Program — roofing adhesives, coatings, and primers contain significant chemical hazards (isocyanates in spray polyurethane foam, solvents in contact cement, asphalt fumes from hot-applied systems).
  • Heat Illness Prevention Plan — roofers work on the highest-heat surfaces in construction. OSHA NEP enforcement is active in this trade.
  • Respiratory Protection Program (29 CFR 1910.134) — required for spray-applied roofing systems, hot asphalt work, and silica-generating operations (grinding through concrete decks). Must include written program, medical evaluation, and fit-test documentation.
  • Scaffold Safety Program — for access to elevated work areas.
Roofing Contractor — Common Client Requirements
  • Asbestos Awareness — for re-roofing over existing built-up roof systems (potential ACM in existing membrane and insulation)
  • Silica Control Plan — for installations requiring cutting through concrete or CMU parapets
  • Lead Safety — gutters and flashing in pre-1978 buildings may be lead
  • Crane and Rigging Safety — for equipment lifts to roof level

See our full guide for roofing contractors: OSHA Safety Programs for Roofing Contractors →

HVAC Contractor Programs

HVAC Contractor — Mandatory
  • Hazard Communication Program — refrigerants (R-410A, R-22, R-32, R-454B), brazing flux, nitrogen, solvents, coil cleaners. SDS required for every chemical on-site. RAVS reviewers specifically check that refrigerants are listed — generic HazCom programs without refrigerant SDS management fail.
  • Lockout/Tagout Program (29 CFR 1910.147) — HVAC LOTO must address multiple energy sources: electrical, pneumatic (control systems), hydraulic (hydronic systems), and stored thermal energy (pressurized refrigerant). Written equipment-specific procedures required — one generic "de-energize before working" policy does not pass.
  • Confined Space Entry Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA) — mechanical rooms, AHU interiors, ceiling plenums, crawlspaces. Atmospheric testing for oxygen, combustibles, and CO. Required attendant procedures and rescue plan.
  • Fall Protection Program (29 CFR 1926 Subpart M / 1910 Subpart D) — rooftop work is constant for HVAC. Service work on occupied buildings may fall under general industry 4-foot threshold, not the construction 6-foot threshold.
  • Heat Illness Prevention Plan — attic and mechanical room temperatures regularly exceed 120–150°F. OSHA NEP enforcement is active. Required by most hiring clients.
  • Refrigerant Handling Safety Procedures — documented under HazCom and General Duty Clause. Emergency response for major leaks, EPA 608 certification documentation, PPE by task type.
HVAC Contractor — Common Client Requirements
  • Respiratory Protection Program — for confined space entry and brazing work in enclosed spaces
  • Electrical Safety Program — for line-voltage work on equipment controls and power connections
  • Aerial Lift Safety — if boom lifts used for rooftop access or tall commercial equipment
  • Asbestos Awareness — for work in pre-1980 buildings with existing ductwork or insulation
  • Hearing Conservation — for extended work in mechanical rooms with high-noise equipment

For a deep dive on HVAC safety program requirements: OSHA Safety Programs for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors →

How ISNetworld Determines Which Programs You Need

When you set up your ISNetworld account, you declare your scope of work — the trades and activities your company performs. This declaration drives the initial program list. But there are two additional inputs:

  1. Hiring client requirements — when you connect to a specific hiring client (an oil-and-gas operator, a commercial property owner, a manufacturer), they may add their own required programs beyond the ISNetworld baseline. These show up as additional RAVS requirements. Industrial clients and energy-sector operators typically have longer lists.
  2. State-specific requirements — ISNetworld's baseline reflects federal OSHA, but if you work in a state-plan state (California, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, etc.), state regulations may require programs that go beyond federal standards. Some RAVS requirements are state-specific.

The most common contractor mistake: declaring a conservative scope to minimize the required program list. RAVS reviewers cross-reference your declared scope with the programs you submit — if your programs mention hazards outside your declared scope, it creates a consistency flag. Declare your actual scope of work accurately.

Mandatory vs. Optional: How to Think About It

RAVS doesn't use a hard "mandatory vs. optional" framework in the way OSHA does. Instead, the concept works like this:

  • OSHA-required programs — if your scope of work triggers an OSHA regulation, you must have the written program. If you do excavation work, you need an excavation program. If you enter confined spaces, you need a confined space entry program. ISNetworld will flag these as required because OSHA requires them.
  • Hiring client-required programs — programs that aren't mandated by OSHA but are required by a specific operator. These show up in your RAVS requirements when you connect to that client. Drug and alcohol programs are the most common example — not federally mandated under OSHA for most industries, but required by virtually every ISNetworld hiring client.
  • Best practice programs — programs that aren't on your current RAVS list but would be expected by any reasonable inspector. If you do heat-intensive work, a heat illness prevention plan protects you even if it's not on your current required list.

The practical answer: write all the programs relevant to your actual work. A program that isn't currently on your required list costs you nothing to have — and may prevent a citation or a resubmission flag when you connect with a new hiring client who does require it.

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More ISNetworld resources: ISNetworld RAVS Documentation Requests →  |  How RAVS Scoring Works →  |  ISNetworld Required Programs Checklist →