What each card covers
Both cards come out of the OSHA Outreach Training Program. For construction, the 10-hour class needs at least 10 hours of instruction. Six of those hours are fixed: a 1-hour Introduction to OSHA, 4 hours on the Focus Four hazards (falls, electrocution, struck-by, caught-in or between), 30 minutes on PPE and 30 minutes on health hazards. Falls get at least 90 minutes. The trainer adds 2 hours of electives and 2 optional hours.
The 30-hour construction class keeps the same core and goes further. It has 14 required hours, including 2 hours on managing safety and health, 6 hours on the Focus Four, 2 hours of PPE, 2 hours of health hazards and 1 hour on stairways and ladders. Then come 12 elective hours spread across at least six topics, such as Foundations for Safety Leadership, plus 4 optional hours. In short, OSHA 10 teaches you to spot hazards. OSHA 30 teaches you to manage them for a crew.
Which one should an electrician get?
Apprentices and new hires should start with OSHA 10 Construction. OSHA built the 10-hour class to give workers awareness of common job hazards. It aims the 30-hour class at supervisors and workers who carry some safety responsibility. Plenty of contractors put an OSHA 10 card on their hiring checklist for helpers and apprentices, so get it early.
Go for OSHA 30 when you start running work. That means lead hand, foreman, general foreman or superintendent. If you work in a plant or warehouse instead of on construction sites, there is a General Industry version of each class. Most electricians who do new construction or remodel work want the Construction version.
Who actually requires the card
OSHA calls the Outreach program voluntary and says it is not an OSHA requirement. It also says some states, cities and employers have made the training a condition of employment. Unions and other organizations can set their own rules too. Whoever sets the requirement decides which training it will accept.
New York City is a clear example. Under Local Law 196 of 2017, workers at most major construction sites have to show OSHA 10 training completed within the previous five years. Sites that need a Site Safety Plan go further. Workers there need a 40-hour Site Safety Training card, and supervisors need 62 hours. OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 counts toward those totals.
How the cards fit with electrical safety training
An OSHA card does not take the place of the training your employer owes you under specific OSHA standards. OSHA says the Outreach program does not meet the training requirements of any standard. Hours spent on standards-required training can't be counted toward an Outreach card either. Electrocution gets about 30 minutes in the 10-hour class, so it gives you awareness and not qualification.
OSHA describes the course as an orientation and says workers still need more training on the specific hazards of their job. For an electrician, that means energized work procedures, lockout, arc flash and the rest of what makes you a qualified person on that site. Treat the card as your first step and nothing more.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. These ranges run from the 25th to the 75th percentile for field supervisors and foremen. They come from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2025, moved to 2026 with a wage index, and the state figures are modeled. Crew size, union status and region move pay more than the OSHA card does. Refer to the Supervision & Field Leadership salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Authorized trainerOnly OSHA-authorized trainers can teach the 10- and 30-hour classes and issue the completion cards. Online classes count only from OSHA's list of authorized online providers.
- Full attendanceYou have to finish the whole class, including every required topic and the minimum contact hours, to get a card.
- Daily hour limitOSHA caps instruction at 7.5 contact hours a day. That means OSHA 10 takes at least two days and OSHA 30 at least four.
- Upgrading 10 to 30A trainer can add 20 hours to turn your 10-hour class into a 30-hour card. The same trainer has to teach all of it within six months, and you hand back the 10-hour card.
- Card expiryConstruction and General Industry cards have no federal expiration date. Some employers and cities set their own recency rule. New York City, for example, wants training from the last five years.
- Replacement cardsAsk your Outreach trainer for a replacement. You can get one only if you took the class within the last five years, and only one replacement per class. OSHA keeps no records and can't reissue cards.
State by state
| New York City | Local Law 196 of 2017 requires workers at most major construction sites to show OSHA 10 training from the last five years. At sites that need a Site Safety Plan, workers need a 40-hour Site Safety Training card and supervisors need 62 hours. |
|---|---|
| Federal (all states) | Federal OSHA does not require either card. Other states, cities, employers and unions can make one a condition of hire, and the one setting the rule decides what training it accepts. |
How to get there
- Pre-hireTake OSHA 10 ConstructionGet it before you apply or in your first weeks. Contractors often list it as a hiring requirement for helpers and apprentices.
- Year 1Complete job-specific safety trainingYour employer has to train you on the specific hazards you face, such as energized work and lockout. The OSHA card does not cover this.
- As requiredEarn local site cards if neededIn New York City, build on your OSHA 10 or 30 to reach the 40-hour Site Safety Training card for larger sites.
- Lead hand or foremanTake OSHA 30 ConstructionDo it once you start leading a crew or carrying safety duties. The 30-hour class covers safety management and leadership topics.
- OngoingKeep records currentHold on to your card. Replacements are only possible within five years of the class.
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Questions people ask
Is an OSHA 10 card a certification or license?
No. OSHA says an Outreach card is neither a certification nor a license. It shows you finished a hazard awareness class taught by an authorized trainer.
Do OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards expire?
Construction and General Industry cards have no federal expiration date. Employers and cities can still set their own rules. New York City accepts OSHA 10 only if it was completed within the past five years.
Can I take OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 online?
Yes, as long as the provider is on OSHA's list of authorized online Outreach providers. OSHA says it cannot validate training from vendors that are not on that list.
Do I need both an OSHA 10 and an OSHA 30 card?
No. OSHA 30 includes the OSHA 10 content and more. If a trainer upgrades your 10-hour class to a 30-hour card, you have to give back the 10-hour card, so the two cards don't add up to 40 hours on paper.
Does OSHA 10 qualify me to work on energized equipment?
No. The Outreach program does not meet the training requirements of any OSHA standard. You still need job-specific electrical safety training from your employer.
Which version should an electrician take, Construction or General Industry?
Take Construction if you work on building sites, new construction or remodels. Take General Industry if you work maintenance in plants, warehouses or other fixed facilities.
Sources
- OSHA: Outreach Training Program (10-hour and 30-hour cards)
- OSHA: Outreach Training Program FAQs
- OSHA: Outreach Training Program Construction Industry Procedures (July 2024)
- OSHA: The Facts About Obtaining an OSHA Card
- OSHA: Authorized Online Outreach Training Providers
- NYC Department of Buildings: SST card information
- NYC Department of Buildings: Safety
