Residential construction has less restrictive building codes than commercial construction. This gives builders the flexibility to build homes to the homeowners' specifications. With so many ways to build a house, residential construction workers face a unique set of hazards and safety considerations. The following links provide information that may be helpful when identifying the hazards of residential construction and solutions to those hazards.

General

• Nail Gun Safety. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
• Construction. OSHA eTool. Also available in Español. Contains information that helps workers identify and control the hazards that cause the most serious construction-related injuries.
• Hazards of Manually Lifting Balloon Framed Walls. OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB), (November 17, 2005).
• Construction. OSHA Publication 3252 (OSHA Pocket Guide), (2005).
• Construction Industry Digest. OSHA Publication 2202, (2015).
• Wildfires. OSHA. Includes links to OSHA fact sheets, QuickCards™, training programs, and other resources.
• Control of Drywall Sanding Dust Exposures. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 99-113, (June 1999). Provides information on ways to control and dispose of dust from drywall sanding.
• Construction Safety and Health. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic. Compares accidents in the construction industry to all other industries and lists NIOSH success stories.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Construction Industry Safety and Health Topics Page.

Confined Spaces

• Confined Spaces in Residential Construction. OSHA Fact Sheet (Publication 3914), (June 2017).

Electrical Safety

• Controlling Electrical Hazards. OSHA Publication 3075, (Revised 2002). Provides an overview of basic electrical safety on the job.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Electrical Safety and Health Topics Page.

Fall Protection

• Fall Protection in Residential Construction. OSHA Fact Sheet, (December 2010).
• Fall Protection in Residential Construction. OSHA Guidance Document.
• Fall Protection in Residential Construction. OSHA.
• Residential Fall Protection Program Update. OSHA Slide Presentation.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Fall Protection Safety and Health Topics Page.

Fire Safety

• Fire Hazard of Polyurethane and Other Organic Foam Insulation Aboard Ships and in Construction. OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin (HIB), (May 10, 1989).
• For additional information, see OSHA's Fire Safety Safety and Health Topics Page.

Forklifts

• Powered Industrial Trucks. OSHA. Contains links to a slide presentation on operator training, sample daily checklists, safety reminder cards, and other OSHA references.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Powered Industrial Trucks Safety and Health Topics Page.

Hand and Power Tools

• Hand and Power Tools. OSHA Publication 3080, (Revised 2002). Presents a summary of the basic safety procedures and safeguards associated with hand and power tools.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Hand and Power Tools Safety and Health Topics Page.

Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy)

• Lockout-Tagout Interactive Training Program. OSHA eTool. Includes three major components: a tutorial, hot topics, and interactive case studies.

Noise and Hearing Conservation

• Hearing Conservation. OSHA Publication 3074, (Revised 2002). Summarizes the required component of OSHA's hearing conservation program for general industry. Covers monitoring, audiometric testing, hearing protectors, training, and recordkeeping requirements.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Occupational Noise Exposure Safety and Health Topics Page.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Respiratory Protection. OSHA eTool. Offers expert assistance to businesses seeking to comply with the new respiratory protection standard 29 CFR 1910.134. Its primary focus is to provide information on the development of respirator cartridge change schedules. However, it also addresses respirator selection, and other requirements of the standard.
• Personal Protective Equipment. OSHA Publication 3151, (2023). Discusses types of personal protective equipment (PPE) and their use in preventing injury to workers. Certain types of PPE intended to protect against life-threatening hazards are also discussed.
• Personal Protective Equipment. OSHA Fact Sheet, (April 2006). Also available in Español.
• Hearing Conservation. OSHA Publication 3074, (Revised 2002). Summarizes the required component of OSHA's hearing conservation program for general industry. Covers monitoring, audiometric testing, hearing protectors, training, and recordkeeping requirements.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
  • Eye and Face Protection
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • Respiratory Protection

Scaffolding

• Scaffolding. OSHA eTool. Provides illustrated safety checklists for specific types of scaffolds. Identifies hazards, as well as the controls that keep these hazards from becoming tragedies.
• A Guide to Scaffold Use in the Construction Industry. OSHA Publication 3150, (Revised 2002). Highlights pertinent information about OSHA's Scaffolding Standard that employers and employees need to know.
• For additional information, see OSHA's Scaffolding Safety and Health Topics Page.

Silica, Crystalline

• Silica, Crystalline. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.

Stairways and Ladders

• Stairways and Ladders - A Guide to OSHA Rules. OSHA Publication 3124, (2003). Provides an overview of OSHA requirements for stairways and ladders used in construction, alteration, repair, painting, decorating, and demolition of worksites.

Trenching and Excavation

• Trenching and Excavation. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.