OSHA Training in Virginia

Additional Safety Training Considerations for Workers in Virginia

While our onsite and online OSHA 10 and 30-hour training courses for construction and general industry are the gold standard for training about general hazard recognition and avoidance for workers and supervisors, there are many workers in Virginia who face unique environmental and occupational hazards that require other specialized safety training to prevent serious injuries and illnesses.

Cold Stress Prevention Training is essential for those working in freezing temperatures or even cool, damp conditions—whether outdoors or in workplaces such as refrigerated warehouses, food processing plants, or unheated job sites. Cold stress can lead to frostbite, hypothermia, and reduced dexterity, increasing the risk of accidents. This training helps workers recognize the early symptoms of cold-related illnesses and implement safe work practices to minimize risks in frigid environments.

Conversely, Heat Illness Prevention Training is critical for anyone exposed to high temperatures or humid conditions, where prolonged exposure can result in heat stress or even life-threatening heat stroke. Workers in construction, roadwork, landscaping or lawn-care, commercial kitchens, attic work, or buildings without adequate ventilation must know how to recognize the early signs of heat-related illness and know how why they need to stay hydrated, take proper rest breaks, and respond to emergencies. This training provides essential knowledge to help them work safely in extreme heat.

And workers in industries such as oil and gas, storm or wastewater management, and agriculture must be aware of the dangers of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), a highly toxic gas commonly found in drilling sites, refineries, chemical plants, manure pits, grain elevators, sewers, and underground utility spaces. Without proper precautions, exposure can quickly become fatal. H2S Hazard Awareness Training ensures workers can identify H2S hazards, understand the importance of gas detection equipment, and follow emergency procedures to stay safe in high-risk environments.

Also, workers involved in any aspect of confined space entry operations must complete Confined Space Entry Training for General Industry before entering hazardous areas such as tanks, vats, silos, sewer and storm drain systems, underground utilities, and many crawl spaces. Supervisors overseeing confined space entry and attendants monitoring entrant safety must also be trained. These environments pose serious risks, including toxic gases, oxygen deficiency, and engulfment. And those construction workers and supervisors involved in confined space entry operations must complete specialized Confined Space Training for Construction.

Our Online OSHA 10 and 30-hour Training Courses Are Accepted in Virginia

We offer OSHA-authorized online 10 and 30-hour training courses available for construction and general industry. However, you must pay close attention to competitor courses, as only those course providers that are specifically authorized to provide these courses can issue trainees the official DOL / OSHA 10 or 30-hour wallet cards. There are plenty of imitators out there who use deceptive fine print and “too good to be true” pricing to sell you a course that is not OSHA authorized. You can rest assured that the 10 and 30-hour online OSHA training courses offered on our website are authorized by OSHA, and are accepted in Virginia as well as all other states and DC.

Regulation of Workplace Safety & Health in Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia operates a State OSHA Program ( commonly referred to as VOSH) that regulates OSHA training in most VA workplaces. The Virginia State Plan was initially approved on September 28, 1976. The Department of Labor and Industry was awarded a Certificate of Final State Plan Approval for the VOSH Program by federal OSHA on November 30, 1988.

The vast majority of the state OSHA regulations are identical to Federal OSHA standards. All standards adopted by the Board from 29 CFR Parts 1910, 1926, and 1928 shall apply by their own terms to all employers who have employees working at places of employment within the jurisdiction of the State Plan of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Standards from Part 1910 apply to employers engaged in general industry; in addition, certain standards from Part 1910 determined by federal OSHA and the Board to be applicable to the construction industry also apply to the construction industry in Virginia. Standards adopted from 29 CFR Part 1926 apply to the construction industry, and standards adopted from 29 CFR Part 1928 apply to agricultural operations within the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth. In addition, standards from 29 CFR Part 1915, Shipyard Employment; 29 CFR Part 1917, Marine Terminals; and 29 CFR Part 1918, Longshoring, have been adopted for state plan use in the public sector only.

Any new or adopted by Virginia for which no federal OSHA counterpart exists applies as specified by the terms of that standard. The VOSH Administrative Regulations, 16 VAC 25-60, et seq., set forth rules defining the applicability of occupational safety and health standards in Virginia. There are several standards that are unique to Virginia, including several related to OSHA training requirements in VA. In these instances, federal OSHA either does not have a comparable standard addressing the specific hazard or condition or, if it does, the federal standard differs substantially. 

The VOSH Program also assures compliance with the Virginia Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act that was enacted by the General Assembly in 1989 and codified at 59.1-406 to 414 of the Code of Virginia. This statute is designed to “promote the safety and protection of persons engaged in work or activity in the vicinity of overhead high voltage lines.” This statutory standard is directly enforced in the same manner as VOSH regulatory standards.

Also related to the VOSH program is The Department’s Asbestos Notification and Permit Program was established by the General Assembly in 1992 and codified at §§40.1-51.20 to 51.22 of the Code of Virginia, as part of a larger multi-agency state program, requiring licensing and certification of asbestos contractors and workers by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). Identical provisions were added for lead contractors in 1996.

Jurisdiction

The Virginia State Plan OSHA program (VOSH) applies to all public and private sector places of employment in the state, with the exception of federal employees, the United States Postal Service, private sector maritime, federal military facilities, and other federal enclaves where the state has ceded jurisdiction to the federal government.

Virginia OSHA Information

The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry is responsible in the Commonwealth for administering and enforcing occupational safety and health activities as required by the Act. The Virginia State Plan (VOSH) applies to all public and private sector places of employment in the state, with the exception of federal employees, the United States Postal Service, private sector maritime, federal military facilities, and other federal enclaves where the state has ceded jurisdiction to the federal government.

The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, headquartered in Richmond, has regional and field offices located in Abingdon, Lynchburg, Manassas, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Verona, and Winchester. Contact information for the State OSHA Field offices located throughout the Commonwealth is available at the contact page of the VOSH website.

The Federal OSHA National Emergency Hotline Telephone number is 1-800-321-OSHA.

Virginia OSHA Compliance Resources

Federal / State of Virginia OSHA Posters

Federal OSHA Training Requirements for 1910 General Industry

Federal OSHA Training Requirements for 1926 Construction

Virginia Department of Labor & Industry

Occupational Fatality Data (2020) – Virginia

– See BLS Data for VA