What is construction vs general OSHA?

Are OSHA Construction Standards Different Than General Industry Standards?

In short, the answer is yes.

Construction and General Industry are two out of four categories of safety and health hazard-related rules for U.S. workers. The other two categories are Agriculture and Maritime. OSHA standards for Construction and General Industry apply to most U.S. workforce.

Each of these categorized standards has industry-specific differences. Though, there is some overlap between the categories.

Which Businesses Are a Part of These Safety Standards Categories?

OSHA does not formally define a clear difference between the categories. The administration defines “Construction” as anyone engaged in construction-related work. They define “General Industry” as anyone involved in work that is not construction, agriculture or maritime-related.

Construction Category for OSHA

“Construction work means work for construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating,” states OSHA’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards for construction work.

Smaller-scale maintenance, such as plumbing to fix a broken pipe at a residence, does not fall under the construction category. However, replacing the entire plumbing system for a large office building would. OSHA considers the size and scale of work regarding repairs in categorizing Construction.

Types of work falling under OSHA’s Construction category may include, but not be limited to:

• Commercial construction
• Residential construction and renovation
• Communication tower installation
• Highway work zones
• Demolition

General Industry Category for OSHA

“OSHA uses the term ‘general industry’ to refer to all industries not included in agriculture, construction or maritime,” states osha.gov.

Because this includes many industries, both General Industry and Construction standards apply to many General Industry workplaces.

Types of work falling under OSHA’s Construction category may include, but not be limited to:

• Manufacturing
• Health care
• Pharmaceuticals
• Warehousing
• Technology
• Retail

Meeting Unique Workplace Health & Safety Standards Needs

As the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets the health and safety standards that most employers in the U.S. must abide by, they must meet unique needs. Each industry has special working conditions.

Overarching OSHA Standards

Many of OSHA’s health and safety standards apply to all workforce in the U.S., whenever applicable. Standards overarch and separate as technology advances to ensure efficient, safe and health hazard-free workplaces.

Where OSHA Construction Standards & General Industry Standards Meet

A large number of OSHA’s standards apply to the Construction and General Industry categories, though not to the Agriculture and Maritime types. The Agriculture and Maritime types present unique logistical challenges and needs, so those categories can not have the exact standard facility requirements as Construction and General Industry categories.

For example, a temporary construction site (Construction) and a food truck park (General Industry) may have the same health and safety standards for sanitation facilities. People transporting cargo across bodies of water (Maritime) or those harvesting in an expansive field (Agriculture) have different OSHA standards and solutions that are more functional for those industries.

Contact Us for Health & Safety Standards Support

Contact us today if your business is in the Construction or General Industry category. Our experienced, OSHA-certified professionals can help you meet OSHA’s environmental health and safety standards.

I picked the construction one but was wondering if it matters which one you pick. I'm looking into moving into manufacturing instead but I'm already doing the construction 30 one.