General industry and construction, side by side
The same question has two answers because OSHA writes two sets of rules. A shop, plant, warehouse or office follows 29 CFR part 1910. A construction jobsite follows 29 CFR part 1926.
| Topic | General industry (29 CFR 1910) | Construction (29 CFR 1926) |
|---|---|---|
| Whether extinguishers are needed at all | An employer with a written fire safety policy that requires immediate and total evacuation on the alarm, an emergency action plan and a fire prevention plan, and with no extinguishers available in the workplace, is exempt from the section unless a specific standard in part 1910 requires one.29 CFR 1910.157(b)(1) | The employer is responsible for a fire protection program followed throughout all phases of the construction and demolition work and provides the firefighting equipment the subpart lists. There is no evacuation-only exemption in 1926.150.29 CFR 1926.150(a)(1) |
| How many and how far | Class A extinguishers are distributed so that the travel distance to any extinguisher is 75 feet or less. For Class B hazards the travel distance from the hazard area is 50 feet or less. Class D agent is within 75 feet of the combustible metal working area.29 CFR 1910.157(d)(2), 29 CFR 1910.157(d)(4), 29 CFR 1910.157(d)(6) | A fire extinguisher rated not less than 2A shall be provided for each 3,000 square feet of the protected building area, or major fraction thereof, and the travel distance shall not exceed 100 feet. At least one 2A extinguisher is on each floor, and in multistory buildings one is adjacent to a stairway.29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(i), 29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(iv) |
| Flammable liquids and gases | The class of the extinguisher follows the classes of anticipated workplace fires and the size and degree of hazard. Class C hazards follow the pattern of the Class A or Class B hazards present.29 CFR 1910.157(d)(1), 29 CFR 1910.157(d)(5) | A fire extinguisher rated not less than 10B shall be provided within 50 feet of wherever more than 5 gallons of flammable or combustible liquids or 5 pounds of flammable gas are being used on the jobsite, except for the integral fuel tanks of motor vehicles.29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(vi) |
| Substitutes for an extinguisher | Uniformly spaced standpipe systems or hose stations connected to a sprinkler system may be used instead of Class A extinguishers if they meet 1910.158 or 1910.159, cover the whole area and employees are trained at least annually in their use.29 CFR 1910.157(d)(3) | One 55-gallon open drum of water with two fire pails may be substituted for a 2A extinguisher.29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(ii) |
| Inspection, maintenance and records | Extinguishers are visually inspected monthly and subjected to an annual maintenance check. The annual maintenance date is recorded and the record is kept for one year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less.29 CFR 1910.157(e)(2), 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(3) | Portable fire extinguishers shall be inspected periodically and maintained in accordance with NFPA No. 10A-1970. All firefighting equipment shall be periodically inspected and defective equipment replaced immediately.29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(viii), 29 CFR 1926.150(a)(4) |
| Training | Where the employer provides extinguishers for employee use, an educational program covers the general principles of extinguisher use and the hazards of incipient stage fire fighting. It is given on initial employment and at least annually after that.29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1), 29 CFR 1910.157(g)(2) | Section 1926.150 has no extinguisher education paragraph. As warranted by the project, the employer shall provide a trained and equipped firefighting organization.29 CFR 1926.150(a)(5) |
What is OSHA's rule and what is not
| Level | What it says |
|---|---|
| OSHA requirement | The monthly check is a visual inspection with no record required, and the annual maintenance date is the entry that is recorded and kept. The two parts name different maintenance references.29 CFR 1910.157(e)(2) and 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(3) |
| Consensus standard | NFPA 10 is the current consensus standard for portable extinguishers. The construction paragraph names NFPA No. 10A-1970, and later editions are not OSHA requirements.29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(viii) |
| Recommended practice | A signed tag or log for each monthly check is recommended, not required, in general industry, where only the annual maintenance date has to be recorded.29 CFR 1910.157(e)(2) and 29 CFR 1910.157(e)(3) |
Does your state do it differently?
Some states run their own State Plan and write their own text, so the federal paragraphs above describe federal OSHA states. Look up your state on the State Plans page and read its rule before you rely on the federal wording.
What OSHA cited most under these standards in FY2025
| Paragraph | What it covers | FY2025 citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1910.157(c)(1) | Extinguishers readily accessible, mounted and identified | 663 |
| 1910.157(e)(2) | Visual inspection every month | 486 |
| 1910.157(e)(3) | Annual maintenance check and its record | 431 |
| 1910.157(g)(1) | Education program on extinguisher use | 177 |
| 1910.157(c)(4) | Fully charged and in their designated places | 69 |
| 1910.157(g)(2) | 65 | |
| 1926.150(c)(1)(i) | 2A rating per 3,000 square feet, 100 feet travel | 51 |
| 1926.150(c)(1)(iv) | At least one 2A extinguisher on each floor | 39 |
| 1926.150(c)(1)(viii) | Periodic inspection under NFPA 10A-1970 | 33 |
| 1926.150(a)(4) | 14 | |
| 1926.150(c)(1)(vi) | 10B extinguisher near flammable liquids or gas | 9 |
| 1926.150(a)(3) | 8 |
1910.157: 1,953 citations in FY2025 at 1,495 inspections, 189 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). 1926.150: 160 citations in FY2025 at 158 inspections, 155 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). Citation items issued Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, counted by HazComFast on U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data (extracted Oct 13, 2026). Inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Mistakes that turn up in inspections
- Mounting an extinguisher where reaching it means crossing the hazard. The paragraph asks for extinguishers mounted, located and identified so they are readily accessible without subjecting employees to possible injury.29 CFR 1910.157(c)(1)
- Applying the plant's 75-foot figure to a jobsite. Construction uses a 2A extinguisher for each 3,000 square feet and 100 feet of travel, and a 10B near flammable liquids.29 CFR 1910.157(d)(2), 29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(i) and 29 CFR 1926.150(c)(1)(vi)
- Skipping the training because the extinguishers are for “emergencies only”. When extinguishers are provided for employee use, the education program is due on hire and at least annually.29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1) and 29 CFR 1910.157(g)(2)
- Leaving a used extinguisher on the wall. Extinguishers are maintained fully charged and operable and kept in their designated places except during use.29 CFR 1910.157(c)(4)
Free tool
The monthly visual check with a log for the whole year and the annual maintenance record, in PDF, Word and Excel.