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) |
|---|---|---|
| General work areas | Part 1910 has no minimum illumination table for workplaces in general. The one table of this kind covers hazardous waste sites: areas accessible to employees are lighted to not less than the intensities in Table H-120.1 while work is in progress.29 CFR 1910.120(m) | Construction areas, ramps, runways, corridors, offices, shops and storage areas shall be lighted to not less than the minimum intensities in Table D-3 while any work is in progress. General construction area lighting is 5 foot-candles, and general construction areas, excavation and waste areas, accessways, active storage, loading platforms and refueling areas are 3.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-3 |
| Exit routes and corridors | Each exit route must be adequately lighted so that an employee with normal vision can see along it. Each exit sign must be illuminated to a surface value of at least five foot-candles.29 CFR 1910.37(b)(1), 29 CFR 1910.37(b)(6) | Indoor warehouses, corridors, hallways and exitways are lighted to 5 foot-candles under the table.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-3 |
| Shops and equipment rooms | Illumination shall be provided for all working spaces about service equipment, switchboards, panelboards and motor control centers installed indoors.29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1)(v) | General construction plant and shops, such as batch plants, carpenter shops, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms, locker rooms and mess halls, are lighted to 10 foot-candles under the table.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-3 |
| First aid stations and offices | No minimum figure. The hazardous waste table lists 30 foot-candles for first aid stations, infirmaries and offices at those sites only.29 CFR 1910.120(m) | First aid stations, infirmaries and offices are lighted to 30 foot-candles under the table.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-3 |
| Powered industrial trucks | Where general lighting is less than 2 lumens per square foot, auxiliary directional lighting shall be provided on the truck.29 CFR 1910.178(h)(2) | Loading platforms and refueling areas are lighted to 3 foot-candles under the table.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-3 |
| Underground work and specific industries | Specific standards carry their own lighting rules. Examples: sawmills must have illumination supplying adequate general and local lighting, and telecommunications work must have artificial illumination when natural light is insufficient.29 CFR 1910.265(c)(9)(i), 29 CFR 1910.268(b)(8) | Tunnels, shafts and general underground work areas are lighted to 5 foot-candles, with a minimum of 10 foot-candles at the tunnel and shaft heading during drilling, mucking and scaling.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-3 |
What is OSHA's rule and what is not
| Level | What it says |
|---|---|
| OSHA requirement | The table is a floor. The employer lights the area to not less than the listed intensity while work is in progress.29 CFR 1926.56(a) |
| Consensus standard | For areas or operations the table does not cover, the construction text refers to the American National Standard A11.1-1965 for recommended values of illumination. Those values are recommended and not a requirement written into the table.29 CFR 1926.56(b) |
| Recommended practice | Higher levels for detailed work, glare control and spare lamps are the employer's own choices. They are recommended, not required, by the table.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.56(a) | Minimum illumination while work is in progress | 3 |
| 1910.37(a)(3) | 446 | |
| 1910.37(b)(2) | 335 | |
| 1910.37(b)(6) | 132 | |
| 1910.37(b)(5) | 118 | |
| 1910.37(a)(4) | 116 | |
| 1910.37(b)(4) | 56 |
1926.56: 3 citations in FY2025 at 3 inspections, 2 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). 1910.37: 1,296 citations in FY2025 at 1,080 inspections, 114 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
- Looking for a foot-candle table in 1910 and quoting the construction table for a plant. The 5, 3, 10 and 30 foot-candle figures belong to 1926.56, and to the hazardous waste table for that kind of site.29 CFR 1926.56(a), Table D-3 and 29 CFR 1910.120(m)
- Reading the table as a target for an average. The paragraph says areas are lighted to not less than the intensities, while any work is in progress.29 CFR 1926.56(a)
- Leaving an exit sign dim. In general industry an exit sign is illuminated to a surface value of at least five foot-candles, by a reliable light source, or it uses a self-luminous or electroluminescent sign that meets the luminance in the paragraph.29 CFR 1910.37(b)(6)