OSHA doesn't hand every employer a single checklist of required programs. Instead, specific standards each carry their own written-program requirement, and which ones apply to you depends on the hazards your people are actually exposed to and whether you fall under Construction (29 CFR 1926) or General Industry (29 CFR 1910).
That's the part that trips most contractors up: there's no master list that says "you, specifically, need these seven documents." You have to work backward from your hazards to the standards, and from the standards to the written programs they demand. This page walks that path, then points you to a free check that does the matching for you.
The written programs OSHA most commonly requires
These are the standards that explicitly require a written program — not just a practice, but a document you can produce on request. Most contractors need some subset of these; almost no one needs all of them.
Hazard Communication (HazCom) — Required for virtually every employer whose workers can be exposed to hazardous chemicals, which is nearly all of them. You need a written program covering container labeling, safety data sheet access, and employee training. This is the single most-cited written-program gap in OSHA inspections, and the 2024 update aligning HazCom with GHS Revision 7 changed what your labels and SDS handling have to reflect.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) / Control of Hazardous Energy — Required when workers service or maintain equipment that could unexpectedly start up or release stored energy. You need written, machine-specific energy-control procedures — not a generic policy.
Respiratory Protection — Required whenever respirators are used to control exposure. Even voluntary respirator use pulls in written obligations (the Appendix D notification), which is a detail a lot of programs miss.
Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan — Triggered when workers have reasonably anticipated contact with blood or other potentially infectious material. Designated first-aid responders can be enough to trigger it. Requires a written, annually-reviewed exposure control plan.
Permit-Required Confined Space Entry — Required when your work involves confined spaces that meet the permit criteria. Construction and General Industry have separate standards here, and the written program governs entry permits, atmospheric testing, and rescue.
Fall Protection — In construction, fall protection obligations begin at six feet, and a written plan is required in specific situations (such as when conventional protection isn't feasible and you're relying on a controlled-access zone or safety-monitoring system).
Emergency Action Plan & Fire Prevention Plan — An EAP is required for most employers above a size threshold or whenever another standard calls for one; a Fire Prevention Plan is required under several standards. Both must be written once the employer count or triggering standard applies.
Silica Exposure Control Plan — Required when workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica above the action level — common in concrete, masonry, cutting, and grinding work. A dedicated written exposure control plan is mandatory.
Hearing Conservation — Required when noise exposures reach the action level. Triggers a written program covering monitoring, audiometric testing, and protection.
PPE Hazard Assessment — Not a "program" so much as a required written certification: OSHA requires you to assess workplace hazards and certify that assessment in writing to justify the PPE you select. It's one of the most commonly forgotten pieces of paper on this list.
How do I know which of these apply to me?
Two filters:
1. Your branch. Construction employers work under 29 CFR 1926; General Industry under 29 CFR 1910. Many programs exist in both, but the triggering thresholds and specifics differ. If you're a contractor doing site work, you're almost always Construction — but a contractor who also runs a shop or facility may have General Industry obligations too.
2. Your actual hazards. A standard only requires a written program if the hazard it governs is present in your work. A drywall contractor who never enters a confined space doesn't need a confined-space program — but almost certainly needs HazCom, fall protection, silica, and PPE. The honest answer to "which do I need" always comes back to: which hazards are your crews genuinely exposed to.
That's exactly the matching the free Compliance Readiness Check does — you tell it your branch and your hazards, and it tells you which written programs apply and whether you've got them covered.