OSHA 10 vs OSHA 30: Which Training Does Your Crew Need?

What is OSHA Outreach Training?

OSHA Outreach Training is a voluntary federal program administered through OSHA-authorized trainers and training organizations. It is separate from OSHA's enforcement activity — completing an Outreach course does not constitute compliance with any specific OSHA standard, and OSHA does not require it of employers nationwide. The program exists to promote hazard awareness and worker rights through structured classroom or online instruction.

The two construction-focused courses are the OSHA 10-Hour Construction and the OSHA 30-Hour Construction. Both are governed by the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers program and must be delivered by trainers who hold a current OSHA Outreach Trainer card in the applicable area (construction or general industry). Upon completion, participants receive a plastic wallet card — commonly called an OSHA 10 card or OSHA 30 card — issued by OSHA through the training provider. Cards do not expire under federal rules, though some state and project mandates set their own card-age limits.

OSHA 10-Hour Construction: what it covers and who it is for

The OSHA 10-Hour Construction course is designed for entry-level construction workers and is the baseline awareness credential in the Outreach program. The course runs a minimum of 10 contact hours, typically delivered over two days in a classroom or spread across several sessions online. Online delivery is permitted under OSHA's current Outreach program rules, but no more than 7.5 hours of the 10 required hours may be completed online in any 24-hour period.

Core topics in the OSHA 10-Hour Construction course

Introduction to OSHA — worker rights under the OSH Act, how to file a complaint, the employer's duty to provide a safe workplace.
Fall protection — the leading cause of construction fatalities; covers fall hazard recognition and protection systems under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M.
Electrical safety — recognition of electrical hazards, lockout/tagout basics, and safe work practices under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) — selection, use, and limitations of PPE under 29 CFR 1926.95 through 1926.107.
Struck-by hazards — vehicle and equipment hazards, flying objects, falling objects.
Caught-in/between hazards — trenching and excavation basics, unguarded machinery, pinch points.
Scaffolding — access, fall protection, and load capacity fundamentals under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L.
Materials handling, storage, and disposal — safe stacking, rigging basics, and material transport.
Health hazards in construction — noise, silica, lead, and other common exposure risks.

The OSHA 10 is appropriate for laborers, apprentices, helpers, and any worker who needs foundational hazard recognition on a construction site. It is not designed to qualify someone to run a jobsite, develop a safety program, or serve as a competent person under any OSHA standard.

OSHA 30-Hour Construction: what it covers and who it is for

The OSHA 30-Hour Construction course is designed for supervisors, foremen, site superintendents, and safety personnel. It covers the same topic areas as the 10-hour course but with significantly greater depth and adds several subjects not addressed in the shorter course. The course runs a minimum of 30 contact hours, typically delivered over three to four days. The same online rules apply — no more than 7.5 hours per 24-hour period.

Additional and expanded topics in the OSHA 30-Hour Construction course

All OSHA 10-Hour topics — covered at greater regulatory and technical depth, with focus on competent-person responsibilities.
Scaffolding (expanded) — erection, dismantling, inspection requirements, and competent person duties under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L.
Excavation and trenching (expanded) — soil classification, protective systems, competent person duties under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.
Fire protection and prevention — 29 CFR 1926 Subpart F, fire extinguisher placement, hot work programs.
Concrete and masonry construction — formwork, shoring, lift-slab operations under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart Q.
Stairways and ladders — design, load ratings, proper use under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart X.
Cranes and rigging — signal persons, riggers, operator qualification under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC.
Hand and power tools — guarding, maintenance, and employee training under 29 CFR 1926 Subpart I.
Safety and health programs — how to develop and maintain a written safety program, hazard identification, and corrective action procedures.
Recordkeeping — OSHA 300 log requirements under 29 CFR 1904, injury and illness reporting obligations.
Multi-employer worksite policies — controlling employer, exposing employer, and correcting employer responsibilities under OSHA's multi-employer citation policy.

The OSHA 30 is appropriate for anyone who directs the work of others on a construction site. This includes working foremen, project superintendents, safety coordinators, and contractors who regularly self-perform field work while also managing crews.

Key differences between OSHA 10 and OSHA 30

Duration: OSHA 10 is 10 hours minimum; OSHA 30 is 30 hours minimum.
Audience: OSHA 10 targets workers; OSHA 30 targets supervisors and safety leads.
Depth: OSHA 30 covers every OSHA 10 topic in greater regulatory detail and adds management-focused content like safety program development and recordkeeping.
Cost: OSHA 10 runs approximately $150–$350 per person in-person, $100–$200 online. OSHA 30 runs approximately $350–$700 per person in-person, $150–$350 online.
Time to complete: OSHA 10 is typically 2 days; OSHA 30 is typically 3–4 days. Both may be spread out over weeks in online formats.
Competent person status: Neither card alone qualifies someone as a competent person under OSHA standards. Competent person designation requires specific training and authority over a given hazard — the 30-hour course provides relevant background but is not a substitute for trade-specific competent person training.
Card issuer: Both cards are issued by OSHA through the authorized trainer. Federal rules do not set an expiration date on the card, but some state mandates and project specifications require cards issued within the past 5 years.
Replacement for a written safety program: Neither card replaces a company's written safety program. The cards are individual credentials; the written program governs the company's site-specific procedures, hazard controls, and employee responsibilities.

State-by-state requirements: where OSHA 10 or 30 is mandated

Federal OSHA does not require Outreach Training cards as a condition of employment or federal contracting. However, a growing number of states have enacted laws that make OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 mandatory for workers on public works or state-funded projects, and some states require the cards for all construction workers regardless of project type. For a comprehensive list of state-level OSHA requirements, see our OSHA requirements by state guide.

States with statutory or regulatory OSHA 10/30 mandates

New York: All workers on public works sites must hold a valid OSHA 10 card (Labor Law §220-h). Supervisors on public works sites must hold a valid OSHA 30 card. Cards issued more than 5 years prior are not accepted.
Massachusetts: Workers on public construction projects must hold an OSHA 10 card (M.G.L. c. 149 §178). Supervisors must hold an OSHA 30 card. The state enforces a 5-year card freshness rule on covered projects.
Connecticut: OSHA 10 is required for all workers employed on public works construction projects (C.G.S. §31-53b). Supervisors must hold an OSHA 30. Cards older than 5 years are not accepted.
Nevada: OSHA 10 is required for all employees working on a public works project (NRS 338.070). Supervisors must hold an OSHA 30. Cards must have been issued within the preceding 5 years.
New Hampshire: OSHA 10 is required for workers on public works projects. Supervisors must have OSHA 30 (RSA 228:57-a through 228:57-h).
Rhode Island: OSHA 10 is required for construction workers on public works projects (R.I.G.L. §37-14.1-1 et seq.). Supervisors must hold OSHA 30.
Missouri: OSHA 10 is required for workers on certain state-funded construction projects; project specifications often extend this to all workers on site regardless of public funding source.
Louisiana: OSHA 10 is required for workers on construction projects funded wholly or partially by state funds (La. R.S. 23:1020.1). Supervisors must hold OSHA 30.
Utah: OSHA 10 is required for workers on state-funded construction projects; OSHA 30 for foremen and supervisors on covered projects.

Beyond state law, many general contractors, project owners, and federal agencies include OSHA card requirements in project specifications, subcontract agreements, and pre-qualification requirements. Always review the project's contract documents — not just state law — to determine what training is required before work begins.

Who needs which card: a role-by-role breakdown

Laborers and apprentices: OSHA 10. Entry-level workers who do not supervise others need the baseline awareness course. In mandated states, the 10-hour card is typically required before starting work on covered projects.
Journeymen and skilled trades workers: OSHA 10 at minimum; OSHA 30 is increasingly expected by GCs and project owners. Workers who have periodic lead responsibility on tasks — even informally — benefit from the 30-hour depth.
Working foremen: OSHA 30. Foremen who direct the work of others carry supervisory responsibility for hazard identification and correction. The 30-hour course aligns with that responsibility and is required in most mandated states for anyone in a supervisory role.
Site superintendents: OSHA 30, and often additional trade-specific competent person training (excavation, scaffolding, fall protection). Supers who run an entire site are expected to have the broadest hazard knowledge base.
Safety coordinators and safety managers: OSHA 30, often supplemented with the OSHA 500 (Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for Construction) if the role involves developing or delivering site-specific training. Some employers also require CHST (Construction Health and Safety Technician) certification for these roles.
Owner-operators and small contractors: OSHA 30 is the right choice. A contractor who self-performs work and manages even one subcontractor or employee is functioning as a supervisor, and the 30-hour curriculum reflects that scope of responsibility. In most mandated states, the owner on-site is classified as a supervisor for card purposes.

What OSHA Outreach Training does not replace

This is where many contractors get tripped up. An OSHA 10 or 30 card is an individual credential — it documents that the cardholder received awareness-level or supervisor-level training in recognized construction hazards. It does not:

Satisfy the requirement for a written hazard communication program (29 CFR 1926.59).
Replace site-specific safety orientation or task-specific training required under individual OSHA standards (for example, fall protection training under 29 CFR 1926.503, or respiratory protection training under 29 CFR 1926.103).
Qualify the holder as a competent person for excavation, scaffolding, or fall protection — those designations require specific, documented training tied to the particular hazard and must be authorized in writing by the employer.
Substitute for a company's written safety program. OSHA expects employers covered by 29 CFR 1926 to maintain written programs addressing the hazards relevant to their scope of work. The written program documents company-specific procedures, emergency contacts, hazard controls, and employee training records — none of which are captured by an OSHA card.

The card proves that an individual sat through a structured course. The written safety program proves that your company has a system for identifying, controlling, and training against hazards on every project you run.

How OSHA Outreach Training fits into your written safety program

A well-structured written safety program references training requirements as part of its overall system — but it does not treat card possession as the end of the story. Here is how the two fit together:

Training matrix: Your written program should specify which roles require which minimum credentials (OSHA 10, OSHA 30, competent person designations, trade certifications) and at what intervals credentials must be renewed or refreshed. This creates a verifiable record of your company's training standards, which matters during OSHA inspections and in contract pre-qualification.
New hire orientation: The written program should define what happens before a new worker hits the site — including verification of OSHA card status, site-specific hazard briefing, and task-specific training. An OSHA 10 card does not replace a new hire orientation for your specific jobsite.
Toolbox talks: The written program should establish a cadence for toolbox talks and document that they occur. The 30-hour course covers the mechanics of toolbox talks, but your written program is where you formalize the expectation and record the execution.
Incident investigation: When incidents happen, OSHA will look at your written program to evaluate whether training deficiencies contributed. A workforce full of OSHA 10 cards is not a defense against a citation for failure to provide task-specific training under a specific standard.

The practical way to think about it: OSHA cards raise the floor of hazard awareness for your crew. Your written safety program raises the floor for your company. You need both.

Difference between OSHA Outreach Training and site-specific training

OSHA Outreach Training (the 10-hour and 30-hour programs) is hazard awareness training delivered by a nationally authorized trainer to a general audience. It covers what hazards exist and what the OSHA standards say, but it cannot account for the specific conditions on your jobsite — the soil type in your area, the local weather patterns, your particular equipment inventory, or the layout of the project you are currently running.

Site-specific training is delivered by the employer (or a competent person designated by the employer) at or before the start of work on a particular project. Several OSHA standards explicitly require it:

29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2) requires that employers instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to the work environment.
29 CFR 1926.503 requires a written fall protection training program and documented training for each worker exposed to fall hazards.
29 CFR 1926.651(k)(1) requires competent person inspections of excavations and adjacent areas prior to each shift.
29 CFR 1910.1200(h) requires training on specific chemicals used in the workplace before initial assignment and when new chemicals are introduced.

None of these requirements are satisfied by an OSHA 10 or 30 card alone. They require employer-delivered, documented, site-specific or task-specific training. The Outreach card complements this training but does not replace it. In states that have adopted state plans, state-specific training requirements may exceed the federal baseline in both scope and documentation requirements.

Where to get OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 training

OSHA Outreach Training must be delivered by a trainer who holds a current OSHA Outreach Trainer card in the construction area. Authorized training organizations — including OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, many trade associations (AGC, ABC, NECA, UA), and numerous private providers — offer the course in both in-person and online formats. OSHA maintains a searchable directory of authorized trainers at osha.gov/dte/outreach.

For cost reference: in-person OSHA 10 typically runs $150–$350 per person depending on class size and provider; online formats run $100–$200. In-person OSHA 30 typically runs $350–$700; online formats run $150–$350. Group rates are available from most providers and can reduce per-person cost significantly for small contractors training multiple workers at once. Some states reimburse training costs through workforce development programs — check with your state's department of labor.

Documenting training in your safety program

When an OSHA compliance officer audits your training records, they will ask to see documentation of who received what training, when, and from whom. Your written safety program should specify how training documentation is captured and retained. Best practice includes:

Maintaining copies of OSHA 10 and 30 cards (or the DOL card issuance confirmation) for each employee and subcontractor in your files.
Recording site-specific and task-specific training in a training log that includes the date, topic, trainer name, and employee signature.
Documenting toolbox talks with a sign-in sheet and brief topic description.
Tracking card expiration dates where state or project mandates set a freshness requirement (typically 5 years from issue date).

A complete, organized training file is not just good practice — it is often the difference between a citation and a warning during an OSHA inspection. Inspectors look for evidence that training actually happened, not just that the employer intended it to happen. For guidance on building this documentation system into your written program, see our guide to building a safety program as a small contractor.

This information is for general reference. State laws and project specifications vary. Consult a qualified safety professional for situation-specific guidance.