US compliance guides
Practical, US-specific guidance — OSHA, the written safety program, the 300 log, Job Hazard Analysis, ISNetworld and Avetta, and the paperwork that keeps you inspection- and client-ready.
An OSHA inspection: what to expect and how to prepare
An OSHA compliance officer can arrive unannounced. Here's how an inspection actually unfolds — the opening conference, the walkaround, records requests and the closing conference — your rights, and how to be ready before one ever happens.
HazCom and Safety Data Sheets (SDS): OSHA's chemical safety rules explained
If your workers handle chemicals, OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard applies — a written program, labeled containers, a Safety Data Sheet for every product, and trained employees. Here's what HazCom requires and how the 16-section SDS works.
Compliance Software for US Businesses: What It Is and How to Choose (2026)
A plain-English guide to compliance software for US businesses: what it is, why spreadsheets let you down, the features that matter, how it differs by industry (OSHA, CMS, fair housing), what it costs, and how to choose the right system.
OSHA fall protection: the 6-foot rule and what it actually requires
Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and fall protection is OSHA's most-cited standard. Here's when fall protection is required — 6 feet in construction, 4 feet in general industry — and the options for protecting workers at height.
Compliance Software for Construction in the US (2026): The Practical Guide
How compliance software helps US contractors stay on top of OSHA 10/30 cards, certifications, COIs, written safety programs, JHAs, the 300 log and subcontractor onboarding — win bids, pass OSHA scrutiny and keep your prequalification scores clean.
Reporting to OSHA: the 8-hour and 24-hour rules for severe injuries
Separate from your 300 log, OSHA requires you to phone in the most serious events fast: a fatality within 8 hours, and an in-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye within 24 hours. Here's exactly what to report and how.
Compliance Software for US Property Managers and Landlords (2026)
How property compliance software keeps a US rental portfolio compliant across jurisdictions: fair housing, lead-based paint, habitability, security deposits, local registration and inspections, and vendor credentials — every date watched, every record ready.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO): controlling hazardous energy, explained
When machines are serviced, unexpected startup or stored energy can kill. OSHA's Lockout/Tagout standard requires a written energy-control program, procedures, devices and training. Here's how LOTO works and what compliance requires.
Compliance Software for Senior Care and Nursing Homes in the US (2026)
How care compliance software keeps a US skilled nursing facility survey-ready every day — staff licensure and background checks, training, infection control, medication and an evidence package mapped to the CMS Requirements of Participation and state surveys.
The hierarchy of controls: how OSHA expects you to control a hazard
Not all hazard controls are equal. The hierarchy of controls ranks them from most to least effective — elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, and PPE last. Here's how to apply it, and why PPE-first thinking fails.
Compliance Software vs Spreadsheets in the US: The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong (2026)
Why spreadsheets quietly fail at compliance for US businesses — no reminders, key-person risk, no audit trail — what a lapse actually costs with OSHA, CMS or fair housing, and how to move to compliance software without a painful migration.
OSHA and workers' comp in Florida: what employers must know
Florida is under federal OSHA, not a State Plan — but its workers' comp rules are strict, especially in construction, where a single employee triggers mandatory coverage. Here's what Florida employers need to know.
Washington WISHA and the Accident Prevention Program (APP)
Washington runs its own OSHA (DOSH, under L&I) and requires nearly every employer to have a written Accident Prevention Program. It's also a monopolistic workers' comp state. Here's what that means for employers.
OSHA in Illinois: federal for private, state for public employers
Illinois is a split-jurisdiction state: private employers are under federal OSHA, while public (state and local government) employees are covered by an Illinois State Plan. Here's what that means, plus the state's workers' comp rules.
OSHA State Plans: does your state run its own OSHA? (2026)
29 states and territories run their own OSHA-approved safety programs — some tougher than federal OSHA. Here's how State Plans work, which states have one, and why it changes what compliance looks like where you operate.
The California IIPP: the safety program Cal/OSHA requires (2026)
California is one of the few states that legally requires nearly every employer to have a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Here are the eight required elements of a Title 8 §3203 IIPP, who needs one, and how to keep it compliant.
NYC Local Law 196 and the SST card: what contractors need in 2026
On covered NYC construction sites, workers need a 40-hour SST card and supervisors a 62-hour one — carried on site and checked at entry. Here's who's covered, the hours required, and how the SST card works.
OSHA and workers' comp in Texas: what employers must know
Texas is under federal OSHA, not a State Plan — and it's the one state where workers' compensation is optional for private employers. Here's what that means for Texas businesses, and why going without cover is riskier than it sounds.
OSHA fines in 2026: what a violation actually costs
OSHA's 2026 maximum penalties are $16,550 for a serious violation and $165,514 for a willful or repeat one. Here is the full penalty table, how OSHA calculates a fine, and the proven ways to reduce one.
OSHA 10 vs OSHA 30: which card do you need?
OSHA 10 is entry-level safety awareness for workers; OSHA 30 is the deeper course for supervisors and anyone with safety responsibility. Here's the real difference, who needs which, whether they expire, and where they're legally required.
The best SafetyCulture alternatives for US contractors (2026)
SafetyCulture is a strong inspection app, but per-seat pricing and a focus on audits don't suit every contractor. Here's an honest look at the leading alternatives — Safesite, SiteDocs, Raken and Complys — and who each is really for.
EMR explained: what a good experience modification rate is, and how to lower yours
Your EMR is the multiplier on your workers' comp premium — and increasingly the number that decides whether you can bid at all. Here's what it means, what a good EMR is, how it's calculated, and the proven ways to bring it down.
Complys vs SafetyCulture: an honest comparison for US contractors (2026)
SafetyCulture is a per-seat inspection platform; Complys is a flat-priced compliance-readiness and win-work platform. Here is an honest, side-by-side comparison of pricing, features and who each one is really for.
The written safety program: what every US employer needs (2026 guide)
A written safety and health program is the document OSHA, general contractors and prequalification networks ask for first. Here is what it is, the law behind it, exactly what it should contain, and how to keep it from going stale in a binder.
The OSHA 300 log and 300A summary, explained (2026)
Most employers with more than 10 workers must keep an OSHA 300 log of recordable injuries and illnesses and post a 300A summary every February. Here is who is covered, what counts as recordable, and how the 300, 300A and 301 fit together.
How to do a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA/JSA): a practical guide
A Job Hazard Analysis breaks a task into steps, finds the hazard in each, and records the control. Here is OSHA's method (OSHA 3071), how to pick which jobs to analyze first, and how to write JHAs your crew will actually use.
Getting prequalified: ISNetworld, Avetta and winning US work
More and more US owners and GCs won't hire a contractor until they're prequalified on ISNetworld or Avetta. Here's what these networks check, how safety metrics like EMR and TRIR drive your grade, and how to get and stay compliant.
OSHA's respirable crystalline silica standard for construction, explained
Cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, stone or masonry exposes workers to silica dust. What OSHA's construction silica standard (29 CFR 1926.1153) requires and how Table 1 makes compliance simpler.
Heat illness prevention: what OSHA expects of employers
Heat is a serious and growing workplace hazard. What OSHA's General Duty Clause and its heat initiative require now, how state rules go further, and what a heat plan should contain.
Confined spaces in construction: OSHA Subpart AA, explained
Manholes, tanks, crawl spaces and pits can be permit-required confined spaces. What OSHA's construction confined space standard (Subpart AA) requires before anyone goes in.
Scaffolding safety: OSHA Subpart L essentials
Scaffolds are involved in a large share of construction injuries. The OSHA Subpart L basics every crew should know — competent person, capacity, fall protection and inspection.
Who pays for PPE? OSHA's employer-payment rule
With few exceptions, OSHA requires employers to pay for the personal protective equipment their workers need. What's covered, what isn't, and the common mistakes.