Short answer: Your employer must train you to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions and teach you the rules that apply to your work (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2)). Some hazards, such as falls, ladders and site chemicals, have their own training rules. Your employer is responsible for the safety training required by OSHA. An OSHA 10 card does not replace the training required under specific OSHA standards. Keep your own dated record of every training you get.
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This page summarizes federal OSHA construction rules as we read them in October 2026. It is not a safety course. Follow your employer’s site rules and the training it gives you.
Who is responsible for your orientation
Your employer is. OSHA’s construction rules put the duty on the employer in plain terms:
- The employer must start and keep up the safety programs needed to comply with the construction standards (1926.20(b)(1)).
- Those programs must include frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials and equipment by competent persons the employer designates (1926.20(b)(2)).
- The employer may let only employees qualified by training or experience operate equipment and machinery (1926.20(b)(4)).
- The employer must instruct each employee in recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions, and in the rules for their work environment, to control or eliminate hazards (1926.21(b)(2)).
Your employer is responsible for the safety instruction OSHA requires on the jobsite. Your part is to pay attention, ask and follow what you are taught.
OSHA training rules that often apply to electrical apprentices
| Topic | What OSHA requires | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| General hazards | Instruction in recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions and the rules for your work environment | 1926.21(b)(2) |
| Harmful substances | Workers who handle poisons, caustics and other harmful substances are instructed on safe handling, hazards, hygiene and protective measures | 1926.21(b)(3) |
| Flammable or toxic materials | Workers who handle flammable liquids, gases or toxic materials are instructed in the requirements that apply | 1926.21(b)(5) |
| Site chemicals | Training on hazardous chemicals in your work area when you are first assigned, and again when a new hazard is brought in, including how to read labels and safety data sheets | 1926.59, same as 1910.1200(h) |
| Falls | A training program for each worker who might be exposed to fall hazards, given by a competent person | 1926.503(a) |
| Ladders and stairways | Training by a competent person for each worker who uses ladders or stairways, as necessary | 1926.1060(a) |
| Protective equipment | Required PPE is provided by the employer at no cost to employees, with listed exceptions | 1926.95(d) |
The PPE exceptions include non-specialty safety-toe boots and non-specialty prescription safety glasses you may wear off the job, everyday clothing and ordinary weather gear. Ask on day one what the company issues.
Questions to ask during your site orientation
Ask your supervisor about the rules and hazards that apply to your assigned work and site. Questions worth asking include where to report, emergency procedures, required PPE, fall hazards, hazardous chemicals and how to report a safety concern. The checklist below turns these into questions. If any point is not covered, ask before you start work.
OSHA 10 is not your orientation
OSHA says its Outreach Training Program, where OSHA 10 cards come from, is voluntary and does not fulfill an employer’s requirement to provide training under specific OSHA standards. An OSHA 10 completion card does not replace the training your employer must provide under applicable OSHA standards. It does not replace what your employer must teach you about your site. For OSHA 10, PPE, ladders and fall rules in more detail, see jobsite safety and OSHA 10.
What to keep a record of
For fall protection, OSHA requires the employer to keep a written certification record with the trained worker’s name, the dates of training and the signature of the person who gave the training or of the employer (1926.503(b)). The employer keeps the latest certification. OSHA requires the employer to maintain the latest fall protection training certification. Keep your own notes as a personal reference too:
- The date and the site.
- The topic, such as fall protection, ladders or hazard communication.
- Who gave the training.
- Anything you did not understand, and when you asked about it.
Ask whether you can have a copy of any sign-in sheet or certificate. Your notes show what you have and have not been trained on yet.
Training is not one and done. For falls, the employer must retrain a worker when site or equipment changes make old training obsolete, or when the worker’s actions show it did not stick (1926.503(c)).
Before your first shift
Ready for your first shift?
Tick each line that is true for you today. Your answers stay in this browser.
- I know who my supervisor and the site safety contact are
- I know where the exits, first aid and assembly point are
- I know what PPE this site requires and I have it
- I know where fall hazards are on my work area
- I know which chemicals are on site and where the safety data sheets are
- I know how to report a hazard or an injury
- I know who verifies a circuit is safe, and I will not assume it is
- I wrote today’s training in my own record
- I know who to ask when I do not understand an instruction
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Who has to train me on site safety?
Your employer. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2) says the employer must instruct each employee in recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions and in the rules for their work environment.
Does my OSHA 10 card count as my safety training?
No. OSHA says its Outreach program is voluntary and does not fulfill an employer’s requirement to provide training under specific OSHA standards.
Do I pay for my own safety gear?
Usually not. Under 1926.95(d), required PPE is provided at no cost, with exceptions such as non-specialty safety-toe boots and non-specialty prescription safety glasses you are allowed to wear off the job.
What training records should I keep?
Keep your own notes of date, site, topic and trainer. For fall protection, the employer keeps a written certification record with your name, the training dates and the trainer’s or employer’s signature.
Sources checked October 2026
- OSHA 1926.20, General safety and health provisions
- OSHA 1926.21, Safety training and education
- eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.21
- OSHA 1926.59, Hazard communication
- OSHA 1910.1200, Hazard communication
- OSHA 1926.95, Criteria for personal protective equipment
- OSHA 1926.503, Fall protection training requirements
- OSHA 1926.1060, Ladder and stairway training requirements
- OSHA Outreach Training Program
