Virginia OSHA State Plan (VOSH): what a contractor needs to know
The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Program is part of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) which is headed by the Commissioner. The main office is headquartered in Richmond with field offices located in Abingdon, Lynchburg, Manassas, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, and Verona. The Virginia State Plan covers private-sector workplaces in the state, with 5 exceptions OSHA lists, and state and local government employers. OSHA first approved it on September 28, 1976 (41 FR 42658) and gave it final approval under section 18(e) on November 30, 1988 (53 FR 48258), amended on June 9, 2000 (65 FR 36630) and June 29, 2006 ( 71 FR 36991 ). Hazard communication: Virginia takes the federal text, but its recorded HazCom amendments stop before the 2026 extension: confirm the operative date with DOLI.
Verified against OSHA's page for the Virginia State Plan · October 1, 2026
At a glance
Agency
The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Program is part of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) which is headed by the Commissioner. The main office is headquartered in Richmond with field offices located in Abingdon, Lynchburg, Manassas, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, and Verona.
Initial Approval
September 28, 1976 (41 FR 42658)
State Plan Certification
August 21, 1984 (49 FR 33122 and 33126)
18(e) Final Approval
November 30, 1988 (53 FR 48258), amended on June 9, 2000 (65 FR 36630) and June 29, 2006 ( 71 FR 36991 )
Who it covers
Private-sector workplaces with 5 listed exceptions, plus state and local government employers
29 CFR 1952.21Standards of its own
11 unique standards on OSHA's list
Hazard communication
16VAC25-90
Construction citations, FY2025
1,753 citations in 517 inspections
Who the VOSH plan covers
The Virginia State Plan applies to private sector workplaces in the state with the exception of:
- Maritime employment, including shipyard employment, marine terminals, and longshoring;
- Contract workers and contractor-operated facilities engaged in United States Postal Service (USPS) mail operations;
- Employment at worksites located within federal military facilities as well as on other federal enclaves where civil jurisdiction has been ceded by the state to the federal government;
- Employment at the U.S. Department of Energy's Southeastern Power Administration Kerr–Philpott System; and
- All working conditions of aircraft cabin crewmembers onboard aircraft in operation.
The Virginia State Plan also applies to state and local government workers, including maritime state and local government workers. It does not apply to federal government workers, including USPS. Federal OSHA covers the issues not covered by the Virginia State Plan. In addition, any hazard, industry, geographical area, operation or facility over which the State Plan is unable to effectively exercise jurisdiction for reasons not related to the required performance or structure of the plan shall be deemed to be an issue not covered and subject to federal enforcement. 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. VOSH also investigates private and state and local government workplace retaliation cases under a provision analogous to Section 11(c).
Source: OSHA, Virginia State Plan, read October 1, 2026.
The standards Virginia writes for itself
VOSH has adopted the majority of OSHA standards that would relate to private sector and state and local government workplace operations; however, VOSH has adopted the following unique standards and legislation:
General industry
- Reverse Signal Operation Safety Requirements for Vehicles, Machinery, and Equipment for General Industry
- Telecommunications, General Approach Distance for Electrical Hazards
- Confined Spaces in the Telecommunications Industry
- Tree Trimming Operations
- Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act
Construction
- Medical Services and First Aid
- Sanitation
- Steel Erection
- Reverse Signal Operation Safety Requirements for Vehicles, Machinery, and Equipment for the Construction Industry
- Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act
Agriculture
- Field Sanitation
VOSH has adopted a Voluntary Protection Program statute. It also has a unique compliance standard related to manufacturer's specifications and limitations applicable to the operation, training, use, installation, inspection, testing, repair, and maintenance of all machinery, vehicles, tools, materials, and equipment in general industry, construction, maritime (state and local government employers) and agriculture.
OSHA's page names the standards; the binding text is the state's own (VOSH website). Where a federal standard applies, the state enforces it as it adopted it.
Hazard communication in Virginia
The rule
16VAC25-90
Virginia takes the federal text, but its recorded HazCom amendments stop before the 2026 extension: confirm the operative date with DOLI.
What the state text says
Virginia adopts the federal general-industry standards identically and records an amendment date per CFR section. Its 1910.1200 entry (and Appendices A–D) shows amendments effective November 20, 2024 and July 30, 2025. The most recent recorded amendment predates the January 15, 2026 federal extension.
Read the ruleThe 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.
VOSH enforcement in construction, FY2025
VOSH issued 1,753 citations in 517 construction inspections in FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), with $5,106,609 in penalties at their current amounts.
| Rank in Virginia | Standard | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 CFR 1926.501 | 223 | 12.7% |
| 2 | 29 CFR 1926.451 | 192 | 11% |
| 3 | 29 CFR 1926.1053 | 137 | 7.8% |
| 4 | 29 CFR 1926.503 | 117 | 6.7% |
| 6 | 29 CFR 1926.100 | 74 | 4.2% |
OSHA Frequently Cited Standards tool, NAICS 23, Virginia, 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
Virginia (Code of Virginia §40.1-49.4) sets its own maximums, CPI-adjusted each August 1 and running slightly below federal: serious up to $16,287; willful/repeat up to $162,849 (willful minimum $10,000).
Virginia penaltiesContesting a citation
VOSH conducts informal conferences in an effort to resolve cases. Each employer, worker, or worker representative may request an informal conference after receipt of the citation(s) of alleged violations. The informal conference may be requested through the appropriate VOSH regional director. If a citation is contested, the case is heard by the Circuit Court. For more information on these proceedings, please visit the Virginia State Plan website.
Working under the VOSH plan, in five steps
Step 1
Check that the jobsite is under the State Plan
OSHA lists 5 exceptions to VOSH'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 Virginia standards that touch your trade
For construction, OSHA's list names Medical Services and First Aid, Sanitation, Steel Erection, Reverse Signal Operation Safety Requirements for Vehicles, Machinery, and Equipment for the Construction Industry, Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act. Read the state text for each before you build the site plan.
Step 3
Set your HazCom program to the state rule
16VAC25-90 is the rule to read before you set compliance dates. Virginia takes the federal text, but its recorded HazCom amendments stop before the 2026 extension: confirm the operative date with DOLI.
Step 4
Know the penalties and the contest path
Virginia sets its own maximums (Va. Code §40.1-49.4): up to $16,287 for a serious violation. VOSH conducts informal conferences in an effort to resolve 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
Occupational Safety and Health – Training and Consultation (Virginia Department of Labor & Industry) 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 Virginia State Plan on September 28, 1976 (41 FR 42658); final approval under section 18(e) came on November 30, 1988 (53 FR 48258), amended on June 9, 2000 (65 FR 36630) and June 29, 2006 ( 71 FR 36991 ).
- A summary of the Virginia State Plan is codified at 29 CFR 1952.21.
- OSHA lists 5 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 11 standards Virginia wrote for itself, 5 of them in construction.
- Hazard communication in Virginia runs through 16VAC25-90.
- In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), VOSH issued 1,753 construction citations in 517 inspections, with $5,106,609 in current penalties (OSHA cited-standards tool).
- Virginia's maximum for a serious violation is $16,287, set by Va. Code §40.1-49.4.
In Virginia
State Plans
Virginia State Plan FAQ
Who enforces OSHA in Virginia?
The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Program is part of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) which is headed by the Commissioner. The main office is headquartered in Richmond with field offices located in Abingdon, Lynchburg, Manassas, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, and Verona. The plan received final approval under section 18(e) of the OSH Act on November 30, 1988 (53 FR 48258), amended on June 9, 2000 (65 FR 36630) and June 29, 2006 ( 71 FR 36991 ), and its summary is codified at 29 CFR 1952.21.
Does the Virginia State Plan cover private construction contractors?
Yes, with the exceptions OSHA lists for the plan (5 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 1952.21).
Does Virginia have OSHA standards of its own?
Yes. OSHA's page for the plan lists 11: general industry, Reverse Signal Operation Safety Requirements for Vehicles, Machinery, and Equipment for General Industry, Telecommunications, General Approach Distance for Electrical Hazards, Confined Spaces in the Telecommunications Industry, Tree Trimming Operations, Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act; construction, Medical Services and First Aid, Sanitation, Steel Erection, Reverse Signal Operation Safety Requirements for Vehicles, Machinery, and Equipment for the Construction Industry, Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act; agriculture, Field Sanitation. The other standards are federal standards the state adopts (plan summary: 29 CFR 1952.21).
What hazard communication rule applies in Virginia?
Virginia takes the federal text, but its recorded HazCom amendments stop before the 2026 extension: confirm the operative date with DOLI. The rule to read is 16VAC25-90. 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 VOSH?
VOSH conducts informal conferences in an effort to resolve cases. Each employer, worker, or worker representative may request an informal conference after receipt of the citation(s) of alleged violations. The informal conference may be requested through the appropriate VOSH regional director. If a citation is contested, the case is heard by the Circuit Court. For more information on these proceedings, please visit the Virginia 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.
What are the OSHA penalties in Virginia?
Virginia (Code of Virginia §40.1-49.4) sets its own maximums, CPI-adjusted each August 1 and running slightly below federal: serious up to $16,287; willful/repeat up to $162,849 (willful minimum $10,000). The federal maximums under 29 CFR 1903.15(d) do not set Virginia's amounts.
Sources
- OSHA, Virginia State Plan (read October 1, 2026)
- 29 CFR 1952.21, Virginia State Plan summary (eCFR)
- 16VAC25-90 (official text)
- OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23, Virginia (FY2025 figures extracted August 8, 2026)
- VOSH website
- Occupational Safety and Health – Training and Consultation
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.
Serious violation, Virginia
$16,287
per violation (max)
HazComFast Pro
$199/mo
10 jobsites, unlimited chemicals, unlimited workers
New sign-ups are paused. The free tools below need no account, and customers can log in as usual.
Your account keeps working as usual. Cancel anytime.