Short answer: OSHA 10 is a voluntary 10-hour safety course that many employers ask for, and some Texas pre-apprenticeship programs include it at no cost. Protect your hearing: NIOSH sets 85 dBA over 8 hours as its limit. Before you accept a job, ask whether the employer carries workers’ compensation, because most Texas private employers may choose not to.
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OSHA 10: what it is and how to get it
What it is. The 10-hour Construction class gives workers awareness of common job hazards, workers’ rights, employer responsibilities and how to file a complaint. The 30-hour class is meant for supervisors or workers with safety responsibility (OSHA).
Who asks for it. OSHA says the 10- and 30-hour courses are voluntary under its rules, while some states, employers, unions and organizations require them. You need no job to take the class and there is no minimum age. Construction cards do not expire (OSHA).
Who teaches it. Classes come from OSHA-authorized trainers, who set their own schedules and fees. OSHA suggests contacting several trainers and asking to see a trainer’s current authorized trainer card. Online, OSHA lists its authorized Construction 10-hour providers, including 360Training, ClickSafety, CareerSafe, HSI and the University of South Florida (OSHA authorized online providers). OSHA does not validate online training from vendors that are not on its list.
Free first. Before you pay for a course, check the programs that include OSHA 10:
- ARP/MC3 Apprenticeship Readiness Program (Houston) lists OSHA 10, First Aid and CPR at no cost to the student (ARP/MC3).
- Goodwill Houston’s Career In Construction (NCCER Core and Electrical) includes OSHA 10 and the TDLR electrical apprentice license in its training (Goodwill Houston).
- Your employer or program. Ask whether they run OSHA 10 for new hires before you buy one.
- Workforce Solutions. Training paid through WIOA goes through your local office. See first-year costs for how to ask.
OSHA 10 is a starting point. Your employer still has to train you on the specific hazards of your job (OSHA).
Hearing: how loud is too loud
The numbers. NIOSH recommends keeping noise below 85 dBA averaged over an eight-hour day. For every 3 dBA above that, safe time is cut in half. At 85 dBA you usually have to raise your voice to be heard by someone 3 feet away, and power tools can run around 85 to 90 dBA (NIOSH).
The construction rule. OSHA’s construction noise limit is 90 dBA for 8 hours, 95 dBA for 4 hours and 100 dBA for 2 hours (29 CFR 1926.52). Above the limits, employers must use feasible controls, and where noise cannot be brought down, ear protection must be provided and used. Earplugs must be fitted by a competent person, and plain cotton does not count (29 CFR 1926.101). When exposures exceed 90 dBA, a hearing conservation program is required on construction sites (OSHA).
Signs you got too much. Your ears ring or sounds seem dull after you leave the noise, or you turn up the car radio at the end of a shift (NIOSH).
Habits that protect you:
- Carry earplugs every day and put them in before the saw or the hammer drill starts.
- Ask your supervisor how to fit them properly.
- Step away from loud work you do not need to be next to.
- Measure: NIOSH offers a Sound Level Meter app for iOS devices.
Workers’ comp: ask before you take the job
Texas is different. Under the Texas Labor Code, workers’ compensation insurance is elective for most private employers (Texas Labor Code 406.002). Employers that choose not to carry it are called non-subscribers.
Your right to know. Every employer must tell a new employee at hire whether it has workers’ compensation coverage, and must post a notice at the workplace. If coverage starts, ends or is cancelled, employees must be told within 15 days (Texas Labor Code 406.005).
Check the list. Non-subscribers file a notice with the Texas Department of Insurance each year, and the department publishes a monthly list of them on the Texas Open Data Portal (non-subscriber data).
Public jobs. On a public building or construction project, the contractor and every subcontractor must certify workers’ compensation coverage for their employees on the project (Texas Labor Code 406.096).
Three questions for every offer:
- Do you carry Texas workers’ compensation insurance?
- If not, what injury benefit plan do you have, and can I read it before I start?
- Who do I report an injury to, and how fast?
Ask them politely, write down the answers and compare offers the same way you compare pay.
Next step on the Texas ladder
- All Texas electrician licenses and exams in one place
- First-week checklist for a new Texas apprentice
- Plan your dates with the Texas electrician license timeline
- Texas electrician license statistics
- Try 70 free Texas Journeyman practice questions in rounds of 20
FAQ
Is OSHA 10 required to work as an electrician in Texas?
OSHA says the 10-hour course is voluntary under its own rules, but some employers, unions and programs require it. Ask the employer or program you are applying to.
Can I get OSHA 10 for free in Texas?
Some programs include it. Houston’s ARP/MC3 Apprenticeship Readiness Program lists OSHA 10 at no cost to the student, and Goodwill Houston’s Career In Construction training includes it. Ask your employer, program or Workforce Solutions office before you pay.
Does an OSHA 10 card expire?
OSHA says Construction student course completion cards do not have an expiration date. OSHA leaves any additional training to the student and the employer.
How loud is too loud on a jobsite?
NIOSH recommends keeping exposure below 85 dBA over an eight-hour day, and halving the time for every 3 dBA above that. OSHA’s construction limit is 90 dBA for 8 hours.
Do Texas employers have to carry workers’ compensation?
Most private employers do not have to. The Texas Labor Code makes coverage elective, but every employer must tell new employees at hire whether it has coverage, and contractors on public building projects must provide it.
Sources
- OSHA: Outreach Training Program FAQs, read October 3, 2026
- OSHA: Authorized online Outreach training providers, read October 3, 2026
- ARP/MC3 Apprenticeship Readiness Program, read October 3, 2026
- Goodwill Houston: Mission Programs, read October 3, 2026
- NIOSH: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, read October 3, 2026
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1926.52, Occupational noise exposure and 1926.101, Hearing protection, read October 3, 2026
- OSHA: Noise in Construction, read October 3, 2026
- Texas Labor Code Chapter 406: Workers’ Compensation Insurance Coverage, read October 3, 2026
- Texas Open Data Portal: Workers’ compensation non-subscriber employer information (Texas Department of Insurance), data updated September 7, 2026, read October 3, 2026
