29 CFR 1910 · General Industry · Subpart D

1910.30: Fall and Equipment Hazard Training

By Black Belt Safety Editorial Team Official text as of October 15, 2026 Data updated November 6, 2026 3 min read

In plain words:

Employers must train workers by a qualified person before they face fall hazards or use personal fall protection, covering how to spot hazards and how to set up, inspect and use the equipment. Workers must also be trained on dockboards, rope descent systems and designated areas they use, retrained when needed, and taught in a way they understand.

Key takeaways

  • 1910.30 is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart D).
  • OSHA cited it 854 times in the last 3 years, in 811 inspections, with $2,346,590 in current penalties.
  • 26 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
  • Most citations: MA (67), OR (65), OH (51).
  • Most-cited part: 1910.30(a) Fall hazards (650 citations).
  • Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.

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854citations, 3 years
$2,346,590current penalties
811inspections
26linked deaths
In this article
  1. What this rule covers
  2. Official text
  3. Injuries linked to this rule
  4. Where and how often it was cited
  5. Free toolbox talk
  6. OSHA interpretation letters
  7. Most-cited parts of this rule
  8. Get your crew competent
  9. Frequently asked questions
  10. About this page

What this rule covers

29 CFR 1910.30, "Training requirements", is an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart D). It has 18 numbered paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.

Official text

Show the full text of 1910.30 (18 paragraphs)

(a) Fall hazards. Open (a) 650 citations

(1) Before any employee is exposed to a fall hazard, the employer must provide training for each employee who uses personal fall protection systems or who is required to be trained as specified elsewhere in this subpart. Employers must ensure employees are trained in the requirements of this paragraph on or before May 17, 2017. Open (a)(1) 502 citations

(2) The employer must ensure that each employee is trained by a qualified person. Open (a)(2) 15 citations

(3) The employer must train each employee in at least the following topics: Open (a)(3) 133 citations

(i) The nature of the fall hazards in the work area and how to recognize them; Open (a)(3)(i) 54 citations

(ii) The procedures to be followed to minimize those hazards; Open (a)(3)(ii) 9 citations

(iii) The correct procedures for installing, inspecting, operating, maintaining, and disassembling the personal fall protection systems that the employee uses; and 7 citations

(iv) The correct use of personal fall protection systems and equipment specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, including, but not limited to, proper hook-up, anchoring, and tie-off techniques, and methods of equipment inspection and storage, as specified by the manufacturer. Open (a)(3)(iv) 18 citations

(b) Equipment hazards. Open (b) 172 citations

(1) The employer must train each employee on or before May 17, 2017 in the proper care, inspection, storage, and use of equipment covered by this subpart before an employee uses the equipment. Open (b)(1) 154 citations

(2) The employer must train each employee who uses a dockboard to properly place and secure it to prevent unintentional movement. 8 citations

(3) The employer must train each employee who uses a rope descent system in proper rigging and use of the equipment in accordance with § 1910.27. Open (b)(3) 1 citations

(4) The employer must train each employee who uses a designated area in the proper set-up and use of the area. 9 citations

(c) Retraining. The employer must retrain an employee when the employer has reason to believe the employee does not have the understanding and skill required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. Situations requiring retraining include, but are not limited to, the following: Open (c) 26 citations

(1) When changes in the workplace render previous training obsolete or inadequate; 1 citations

(2) When changes in the types of fall protection systems or equipment to be used render previous training obsolete or inadequate; or

(3) When inadequacies in an affected employee's knowledge or use of fall protection systems or equipment indicate that the employee no longer has the requisite understanding or skill necessary to use equipment or perform the job safely. Open (c)(3) 17 citations

(d) Training must be understandable. The employer must provide information and training to each employee in a manner that the employee understands. 6 citations

Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15.

See every company cited for this rule.

Export the list: 811 inspections cited 1910.30 in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.

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Injuries linked to this rule

26 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.30.

Employee is fatally injured in fall from car carrier
2025-02-03 · Fatal · DUNCANSVILLE, PA

At 5:45 p.m. on February 3, 2025, Employee #1 attempted to charge a dead vehicle battery on the second level of a car carrier. He fell through an open space where a vehicle would normally be positioned and sustained fatal injuries.

See all 26 cases

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Where and how often it was cited

YearCitations
202337
2024299
2025321
2026197

Top states: MA (67), OR (65), OH (51), NJ (45), TX (39)

Largest penalties

EmployerLocationPenalty for this rule
NED STEVENS CLEANING SERVICES OF CO, LLCENGLEWOOD, CO$55,000
PEPPERMILL CASINOS, INC.SPARKS, NV$35,465
HILL & MARKES LLCAMSTERDAM, NY$29,036
RFX2025XVM508X0074 - WINDY CITY EQUIPMENT SERVICE, INC.SCOTTSDALE, AZ$23,170
STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES INCMASSENA, NY$20,000

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OSHA interpretation letters

None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.30.

Most-cited parts of this rule

Get your crew competent

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Frequently asked questions

Who must give fall protection training?

A qualified person chosen by the employer.

When must a worker be retrained?

When workplace changes or new fall protection equipment make old training outdated, or when a worker shows they no longer have the needed understanding or skill.

Does the training have to be in a language I understand?

Yes. Training must be given in a manner each employee understands.

About this page

Sources

3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.

Written and reviewed by

Black Belt Safety Editorial Team

Site Safety Officer and Safety Professional

OSHA 30 · CPR · USACE CQM

Written and reviewed by the Black Belt Safety team. Every post is checked against the OSHA standard or agency source it cites.

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