The one mandatory OSHA poster
Every employer covered by the OSH Act must display the official "Job Safety and Health — It's the Law" workplace poster (OSHA 3165), in a conspicuous place where notices to employees are customarily posted. It informs workers of their rights to a safe workplace, to report hazards and injuries, and to be free from retaliation.
It is free — download or order it from the agency at no cost. The federal OSHA poster has no scheduled expiration or annual renewal. OSHA currently permits older editions, so publication of a new edition alone does not require replacement. Check the separate poster requirements that apply to your jurisdiction or agency. Workplaces with Spanish-speaking workers should post the Spanish version alongside (available free as well).
About those paid poster subscriptions
The "labor law poster compliance service" industry sells laminated bundles and update subscriptions for something the government gives away. Some bundles are convenient — one laminated sheet can combine the OSHA poster with other agencies' required notices — but the OSHA notice itself is never something you owe money for, and urgent-sounding "your posters are out of compliance" mailers are a sales tactic, not an enforcement notice.
The other postings employers forget
The poster is not the only thing OSHA expects on the wall at specific times:
- Form 300A annual summary — posted February 1 through April 30 in each covered establishment, executive-certified, even in a zero-injury year.
- Citations — if you are cited, the citation (or a copy) must be posted at or near the violation location for 3 working days or until the violation is abated, whichever is longer.
- Petitions, notices, and test results that individual standards require you to share — for example, exposure monitoring results under certain health standards must be communicated to affected employees.
Getting it right in five minutes
Download the federal poster that applies. Older federal editions may remain posted, and a new edition alone is not a replacement deadline. Post the State Plan poster where that jurisdiction requires one, place the notices beside your other employment notices at every establishment, and add the February 300A posting to the same wall's calendar.
References and further reading
Check the current source and your worksite’s requirements before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Deadlines with the records behind them
See recordkeeping and program deadlines on one calendar with reminders.