What Is OSHA? The Difference Between 1910 and 1926
Updated 2026-06-23
OSHA — the Occupational Safety and Health Administration — is the U.S. federal agency that sets and enforces workplace safety and health standards, and its two most important standard sets for most employers are 29 CFR 1910, covering general industry, and 29 CFR 1926, covering construction. Knowing what OSHA is and the difference between 1910 and 1926 is foundational, because the standard that applies to your work determines the specific requirements you have to meet. This guide explains what OSHA is, what the 1910 and 1926 standards cover, and how to tell which one applies.
What OSHA actually is
OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a federal agency created under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, housed within the U.S. Department of Labor. Its mission is to ensure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, and assistance. OSHA's reach extends to most private-sector employers and workers in the United States, with some states running their own OSHA-approved programs that are at least as effective as federal OSHA.
In practice, OSHA does three things that matter to employers: it publishes safety standards (the detailed requirements employers must meet), it inspects workplaces and issues citations for violations, and it provides guidance and resources to help employers comply. The standards are codified in Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which is why you see requirements cited as "29 CFR" followed by a part and section number.
The standards: 1910, 1926, and others
OSHA's standards are organized into parts within 29 CFR. The two that cover the most workers are:
- 29 CFR 1910 — General Industry: the broad set of standards covering most workplaces that are not construction, agriculture, or maritime — manufacturing, warehousing, healthcare, and general workplaces
- 29 CFR 1926 — Construction: the standards specific to construction work — building, altering, repairing, and demolition
OSHA also maintains 29 CFR 1928 (agriculture) and 29 CFR 1915/1917/1918 (maritime), but for most construction and general-industry employers, 1910 and 1926 are the two that matter.
29 CFR 1910: General Industry
The 1910 standards apply to general industry — essentially most workplaces that are not construction, maritime, or agriculture. They cover topics like machine guarding, hazardous materials, lockout/tagout, permit-required confined spaces, electrical safety, and respiratory protection as they apply to ongoing operations in fixed workplaces. If your work is in a factory, warehouse, plant, or similar fixed facility performing ongoing operations, 1910 is generally your standard.
29 CFR 1926: Construction
The 1926 standards apply to construction work — defined as construction, alteration, and repair, including painting and decorating. They cover the hazards characteristic of construction sites: fall protection, excavation and trenching, scaffolding, cranes and rigging, steel erection, and the other activities of building work. If your work is building, altering, repairing, or demolishing a structure, 1926 is generally your standard.
A side-by-side comparison
| 29 CFR 1910 | 29 CFR 1926 | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | General industry | Construction |
| Typical settings | Factories, warehouses, plants, fixed facilities | Construction sites, building, demolition |
| Example topics | Machine guarding, LOTO, permit-required confined spaces | Fall protection, excavation, scaffolds, cranes |
| Work character | Ongoing operations in fixed workplaces | Building, altering, repairing structures |
The standards overlap in places, and 1926 sometimes incorporates 1910 requirements by reference (for example, parts of the confined-space and electrical provisions), so the line is not always absolute — but the basic division is general industry (1910) versus construction (1926).
Which standard applies to you?
The determining factor is the nature of the work, not just the location. Construction work — building, altering, repairing, demolishing — falls under 1926, even when it happens inside an existing general -industry facility. Ongoing operations in a fixed workplace fall under 1910. The same physical site can involve both: a manufacturing plant running production operates under 1910, but a contractor building an addition to that plant operates under 1926.
When the character of the work is ambiguous — maintenance versus construction, for instance — the distinction can require judgment, and OSHA has guidance on how it draws the line. The practical question is whether the activity is construction (1926) or ongoing operations (1910), and the answer drives which specific requirements apply.
From the field: why the 1910/1926 distinction matters
In fourteen years across federal, heavy civil, and industrial projects, the 1910-versus-1926 question comes up more than people expect, because so much work happens at the boundary — contractors performing construction inside operating industrial facilities, maintenance that shades into alteration, projects that involve both ongoing operations and construction in the same building. Getting the classification right matters because the requirements differ: the construction standards have provisions (and triggers) that the general-industry standards do not, and vice versa, and citing the wrong one in a safety plan or JHA undermines the document.
On the projects I have run, the practical approach is to anchor on the character of the activity. If the crew is building, altering, repairing, or demolishing, plan to 1926 and cite its requirements — fall protection, excavation, scaffolding, and the rest. If the work is ongoing operations in a fixed facility, 1910 governs. And where construction happens inside a general-industry site, both standards are in play for different parties and activities, so the safety documentation has to be clear about which applies to which work. Citing the correct standard — 1910 or 1926, and on federal jobs EM 385-1-1 on top — is part of what makes a pre-task plan or JHA credible rather than generic.
One practical wrinkle worth knowing is the State Plan question. Roughly half the states run their own OSHA-approved occupational safety programs (State Plans) that must be at least as effective as federal OSHA, and some adopt standards that go beyond the federal baseline — California's Cal/OSHA being the most prominent example. If you work in a State Plan state, your standards may differ from or exceed the federal 1910 and 1926 requirements, so confirming whether federal OSHA or a State Plan governs your site is part of citing the right requirement. On the projects I have run, the habit that keeps safety documentation defensible is citing the specific standard by number — 1926.501 for fall protection, 1926.652 for excavation protective systems, 1910.147 for lockout/tagout — rather than a vague reference to "OSHA," because the specific citation is what makes a JHA or AHA credible to an inspector and useful to the crew.
The bottom line
OSHA is the federal agency that sets and enforces workplace safety standards, codified in 29 CFR. Its two most important standard sets are 1910 for general industry and 1926 for construction, and the difference comes down to the character of the work: ongoing operations in fixed workplaces fall under 1910, while building, altering, repairing, and demolishing fall under 1926. Knowing which applies — and citing it correctly — is foundational to any credible safety plan.
Frequently asked questions
What does OSHA stand for?
OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. federal agency within the Department of Labor that sets and enforces workplace safety and health standards. It was created under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
What is the difference between 1910 and 1926?
29 CFR 1910 covers general industry — most fixed workplaces like factories, warehouses, and plants performing ongoing operations — while 29 CFR 1926 covers construction work: building, altering, repairing, and demolishing structures. The distinction is driven by the character of the work, not just the location.
Which OSHA standard applies to construction?
29 CFR 1926. Construction work — including building, alteration, repair, painting, and demolition — falls under the 1926 standards, which cover fall protection, excavation, scaffolding, cranes, steel erection, and the other hazards characteristic of construction sites.
Can both 1910 and 1926 apply at the same site?
Yes. A single site can involve both — for example, a manufacturing plant running production operates under 1910, while a contractor building an addition to that plant operates under 1926. The standards apply to different activities and parties based on the character of the work each is performing.
Related JHAs
- What Is EM 385-1-1? — the federal standard that builds on OSHA
- What Is a JHA? — citing the right OSHA standard in a hazard analysis
- What Is a Pre-Task Plan? — applying the right standard at the point of work
- How to Write a JHA — referencing 1910 or 1926 correctly
Written by Mustafa Tok, CSP, ASP, CHST — OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer with 14+ years of international construction safety experience across federal, heavy civil, and industrial projects.