Arizona OSHA State Plan (ADOSH): what a contractor needs to know
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) is part of the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA). The main office is located in Phoenix. The Arizona State Plan covers private-sector workplaces in the state, with 8 exceptions OSHA lists, and state and local government employers. OSHA first approved it on November 5, 1974 (39 FR 39037) and gave it final approval under section 18(e) on June 20, 1985 (50 FR 25561). Hazard communication: Arizona (ADOSH) takes the federal general-industry standards through R20-5-602, which incorporates 29 CFR 1910 by reference.
Verified against OSHA's page for the Arizona State Plan · October 1, 2026
At a glance
Agency
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) is part of the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA). The main office is located in Phoenix.
Initial Approval
November 5, 1974 (39 FR 39037)
State Plan Certification
September 18, 1981 (46 FR 46322)
18(e) Final Approval
June 20, 1985 (50 FR 25561)
Who it covers
Private-sector workplaces with 8 listed exceptions, plus state and local government employers
29 CFR 1952.19Standards of its own
5 unique standards on OSHA's list
Hazard communication
Ariz. Admin. Code R20-5-602
Construction citations, FY2025
183 citations in 62 inspections
Who the ADOSH plan covers
The Arizona State Plan applies to all private sector workplaces in the state with the following exceptions:
- Maritime employment, including shipyard employment, marine terminals, and longshoring;
- Contractors and subcontractors on federal establishments for which the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction;
- Contract employees and contractor-operated facilities engaged in United States Postal Service mail operations;
- Copper smelters;
- Concrete and asphalt batch plants that are physically connected to a mine or so interdependent with a mine so as to form one integral enterprise;
- Indian reservations;
- All working conditions of aircraft cabin crewmembers onboard aircraft in operation; and
- Any hazard, industry, geographical area, operation or facility over which the state is unable to effectively exercise jurisdiction for reasons not related to the required performance or structure of the plan.
The Arizona State Plan also applies to state and local government employers. It does not apply to federal government employers including the United States Postal Service. Federal OSHA covers the issues not covered by the Arizona State Plan. In addition, federal OSHA retains enforcement of the anti-retaliation provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 11(c), 29 USC 660(c), with respect to the private sector. ADOSH also investigates private and state and local government workplace retaliation cases under a provision analogous to Section 11(c).
Source: OSHA, Arizona State Plan, read October 1, 2026.
The standards Arizona writes for itself
ADOSH has adopted federal OSHA standards and incorporates them by reference. In addition, Arizona has the following unique standards:
General industry
- Compressed Gas and Air (General) and Air Receivers
- Commercial Driving Operations
Construction
- Fall Protection
Agriculture
- Field Sanitation
- Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment
OSHA's page names the standards; the binding text is the state's own (ADOSH website). Where a federal standard applies, the state enforces it as it adopted it.
Hazard communication in Arizona
The rule
Ariz. Admin. Code R20-5-602
Arizona (ADOSH) takes the federal general-industry standards through R20-5-602, which incorporates 29 CFR 1910 by reference. This page does not state which amendment date that rule currently carries or whether Arizona has adopted HCS 2024 by a separate section: read R20-5-602 and the sections that follow it on the Arizona Secretary of State's site, and confirm with ADOSH.
The federal compliance dates and how each State Plan adopted HCS 2024 are compared on HazCom deadlines 2026 and in HCS 2024 deadlines by State Plan. The rule every other State Plan cites is in the State Plan HazCom rule map.
ADOSH enforcement in construction, FY2025
ADOSH issued 183 citations in 62 construction inspections in FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), with $733,884 in penalties at their current amounts.
| Rank in Arizona | Standard | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 CFR 1926.501 | 29 | 15.8% |
| 2 | 29 CFR 1926.503 | 20 | 10.9% |
| 3 | 29 CFR 1926.1053 | 15 | 8.2% |
| 4 | 29 CFR 1910.1200 | 14 | 7.7% |
| 5 | 29 CFR 1926.502 | 12 | 6.6% |
OSHA Frequently Cited Standards tool, NAICS 23, Arizona, figures extracted August 8, 2026. Ranks count every row the tool lists for the state. The tool now shows the following fiscal year; these are the FY2025 figures as extracted.
Penalties and appeals
Penalty maximums
The amounts that apply to a citation from ADOSH, and the sources behind them, are on the Arizona penalties page.
Arizona penaltiesContesting a citation
ADOSH management personnel conduct informal conferences in an effort to resolve contested cases. An administrative law judge of the Administrative Law Judge Division hears and rules on contests of citations, notifications, and penalties issued by ADOSH. These decisions may be appealed to an independent review board. For more information on these proceedings, please visit the Arizona State Plan website.
Working under the ADOSH plan, in five steps
Step 1
Check that the jobsite is under the State Plan
OSHA lists 8 exceptions to ADOSH's private-sector coverage, starting with maritime employment, including shipyard employment, marine terminals, and longshoring. Work under an exception falls to federal OSHA.
Step 2
Read the Arizona standards that touch your trade
For construction, OSHA's list names Fall Protection. Read the state text for each before you build the site plan.
Step 3
Set your HazCom program to the state rule
Ariz. Admin. Code R20-5-602 is the rule to read before you set compliance dates. Arizona (ADOSH) takes the federal general-industry standards through R20-5-602, which incorporates 29 CFR 1910 by reference.
Step 4
Know the penalties and the contest path
ADOSH management personnel conduct informal conferences in an effort to resolve contested cases. The citation states the deadline to contest, and the state review body is described under Penalties and appeals.
Step 5
Use the free consultation program
Consultation & Training, Industrial Commission of Arizona (Division of Occupational Safety & Health) offers on-site consultation, separate from enforcement.
Run it in HazComFast
Every trade reads the same sheet
Put a QR code on the container and any worker on site, whoever signs their paycheck, opens its SDS with the phone camera. No app, no login, and no per-seat charge for workers, foremen or subs.
Built for jobsites where the signal drops
Your jobsite's SDS load onto the phone on their own. The app shows how many are ready (17 of 20, 20 of 20) before you head underground. First-aid steps for every product on the jobsite stay on the phone, even in airplane mode.
Approve it or send it back
Every submission lands in a review queue. Approve it, reject it with a reason, or ask for a revision. Each decision is stamped with who reviewed it and when: the trail a controlling employer needs when OSHA asks what it did before the crew mobilized.
What each plan includes
- InspectionsFrom Pro
- Corrective actionsFrom Pro
- OSHA 300, 301 and 300A logsFrom Starter
- 300A certification and posting windowFrom Starter
- Written HazCom program, versionedFrom Starter
- Training center and assignmentsFrom Starter
- Full record export, any timeEvery plan
- Litigation defense packageFrom Starter
Key facts
- OSHA first approved the Arizona State Plan on November 5, 1974 (39 FR 39037); final approval under section 18(e) came on June 20, 1985 (50 FR 25561).
- A summary of the Arizona State Plan is codified at 29 CFR 1952.19.
- OSHA lists 8 exceptions to the plan's private-sector coverage, and federal OSHA covers what the plan does not.
- Federal OSHA keeps enforcement of the anti-retaliation provision of section 11(c) of the OSH Act for the private sector, according to OSHA's page for the plan.
- OSHA's page lists 5 standards Arizona wrote for itself, 1 of them in construction.
- Hazard communication in Arizona runs through Ariz. Admin. Code R20-5-602.
- In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), ADOSH issued 183 construction citations in 62 inspections, with $733,884 in current penalties (OSHA cited-standards tool).
In Arizona
State Plans
Arizona State Plan FAQ
Who enforces OSHA in Arizona?
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) is part of the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA). The main office is located in Phoenix. The plan received final approval under section 18(e) of the OSH Act on June 20, 1985 (50 FR 25561), and its summary is codified at 29 CFR 1952.19.
Does the Arizona State Plan cover private construction contractors?
Yes, with the exceptions OSHA lists for the plan (8 of them, such as maritime employment, including shipyard employment, marine terminals, and longshoring). The plan also covers state and local government employers; federal OSHA covers the rest (29 CFR 1952.19).
Does Arizona have OSHA standards of its own?
Yes. OSHA's page for the plan lists 5: general industry, Compressed Gas and Air (General) and Air Receivers, Commercial Driving Operations; construction, Fall Protection; agriculture, Field Sanitation, Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment. The other standards are federal standards the state adopts (plan summary: 29 CFR 1952.19).
What hazard communication rule applies in Arizona?
Arizona (ADOSH) takes the federal general-industry standards through R20-5-602, which incorporates 29 CFR 1910 by reference. This page does not state which amendment date that rule currently carries or whether Arizona has adopted HCS 2024 by a separate section: read R20-5-602 and the sections that follow it on the Arizona Secretary of State's site, and confirm with ADOSH. The rule to read is Ariz. Admin. Code R20-5-602. Classification verified against OSHA's page for the plan on August 7, 2026; the federal standard is 29 CFR 1910.1200.
How do I contest a citation from ADOSH?
ADOSH management personnel conduct informal conferences in an effort to resolve contested cases. An administrative law judge of the Administrative Law Judge Division hears and rules on contests of citations, notifications, and penalties issued by ADOSH. These decisions may be appealed to an independent review board. For more information on these proceedings, please visit the Arizona State Plan website. Federal OSHA's 15-working-day notice of contest under 29 CFR 1903.17 does not govern a State Plan citation: the citation itself states the state deadline.
Sources
- OSHA, Arizona State Plan (read October 1, 2026)
- 29 CFR 1952.19, Arizona State Plan summary (eCFR)
- OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Arizona (FY2025 figures extracted August 8, 2026)
- ADOSH website
- Consultation & Training, Industrial Commission of Arizona
OSHA's page for the plan read on October 1, 2026; the state hazard communication rule on August 7, 2026. OSHA notes that a State Plan's own office has the latest information. General guidance, not legal advice.
Get the Binder in Order Before the Inspector Arrives. Are You Ready?
OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.
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