OSHA 10 vs OSHA 30: which card do you need in NYC and NJ?
Short answer
OSHA 10 is a 10-hour course for entry-level workers; OSHA 30 is a 30-hour course for supervisors and workers with safety responsibility. Both are voluntary federal outreach cards, but on NYC and New Jersey construction sites OSHA 30 is the card most general contractors ask for, and in NYC it covers 30 of the 40 hours of the SST Worker card.
Checked against the official sources on
The difference in one table
| OSHA 10 Construction | OSHA 30 Construction | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 10 hours | 30 hours |
| Meant for | Entry-level workers | Supervisors, forepersons and workers with safety duties |
| Content | Hazard awareness basics, worker rights, employer duties, how to file a complaint | The same topics in more depth, plus a longer list of hazards |
| Expires | No federal expiration | No federal expiration |
| NYC SST credit (card under 5 years old) | 10 hours: 30 more hours of DOB courses to reach 40 | 30 hours: 10 more hours to reach 40 |
Which one should you take?
If you work, or want to work, on NYC or New Jersey commercial sites, take OSHA 30. In our experience most general contractors there ask for OSHA 30 at the gate, and in NYC it is the shortest path to the SST card: OSHA 30 + 8-Hour Fall Prevention + 2-Hour Mental Health Awareness = 40 hours.
OSHA 10 fits a first job or a site that only asks for OSHA 10. In NYC it also leads to an SST card, but through Option 2, which needs 30 more hours of DOB courses instead of 10.
Construction or General Industry?
For job sites, take Construction. General Industry covers factories, warehouses and similar workplaces and is not the card construction sites usually ask for.
How the class works
OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are taught by OSHA-authorized trainers, in person, at the job site or live online, as OSHA program rules allow. OSHA caps outreach classes at 7.5 hours a day, so OSHA 30 takes at least four days. The card comes from the trainer’s authorizing OSHA training organization after you finish. Self-paced online OSHA courses are sold only by OSHA-authorized online providers.
More questions
Can I take OSHA 30 in Spanish or Russian?
Yes. OSHA allows outreach classes in other languages. Trade Progress Center teaches OSHA 30 and OSHA 10 in English, Russian and Spanish.
Does OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 expire?
Not under federal rules. But in NYC an OSHA card counts toward a new SST card only if it is less than 5 years old, and an employer can ask for newer training.
Which OSHA card does a plumber need?
The same as any other trade on the site: OSHA 30 on most NYC and NJ commercial jobs. Trade Progress Center also teaches OSHA 10 Construction with plumbing examples, and you get the standard OSHA 10 Construction card.
Training for this
Our NYC DOB courses are taught by a Trade Progress Center instructor registered with the NYC DOB as a trainer, OSHA classes by an OSHA-authorized trainer, and FDNY courses are exam preparation. Classes in English, Russian or Spanish, in person or online.
Official sources
This page explains the rules in plain words. The agencies’ own pages and rules decide, and they change: check the source links before you act.