1
Set the scene
Start with context
Fill the frame
2–3 ft for close-ups; keep ladders, cords and workers fully in view.
Workplace posters
OSHA poster requirements — where the It's the Law poster goes, and the federal posters most employers need
Under 29 CFR 1903.2, private employers covered by federal OSHA must display OSHA's free 'Job Safety and Health — It's the Law' poster in each establishment, in a conspicuous place where notices to employees are usually posted, and keep it from being altered, defaced, or covered. Printed copies must be at least 8.5 by 14 inches with 10-point type. On construction sites, farms, and other spread-out operations, the poster goes where employees report each day. If an OSHA State Plan covers you, post the state's version instead. Other federal posters come from the Department of Labor and other agencies: most private employers also need the minimum wage (FLSA) and polygraph (EPPA) posters and the USERRA notice, while the FMLA and EEOC posters depend on headcount. OSHA Scan does not audit your posters. It scans photos of posting areas for covered posters and nearby hazards. The free checklist below covers each rule.
Photo scan: no account needed (you may be asked for the free phone Access Pass) · Template downloads: free account required
Required posters by industry
This page covers the OSHA poster rule and the federal posters most employers share. These guides add what each industry needs on top of that.
Construction site posters
Where the OSHA poster goes on a job site, the Davis-Bacon poster on covered federal projects, and keeping posters readable outdoors.
Keep exploring
Restaurant labor law posters
The federal posters restaurants need, the minimum wage poster's tip credit and child labor sections, and where every shift can see them.
Keep exploring
Farm labor law posters
MSPA and H-2A notices for farms with covered workers, and where to post them when crews report to different fields.
Keep exploring
A poster only counts if workers can see it
OSHA's posting rule, 29 CFR 1903.2, is short. Each employer posts and keeps posted the notice OSHA furnishes — the 'Job Safety and Health — It's the Law' poster — in each establishment, in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted, and takes steps so it isn't altered, defaced, or covered by other material. Reproductions must be at least 8.5 by 14 inches with at least 10-point type. The poster is free from OSHA in English, Spanish, and other languages. OSHA doesn't require a foreign-language version, but it encourages employers with Spanish-speaking workers to also display the Spanish one.
In practice, the poster goes up once and then disappears behind whatever gets hung near it: coats, schedules, a hi-vis vest. That's the part a photo can show. In the example photo, work jackets hang over the lower half of the bulletin board, cardboard and a ladder lean against the electrical panel beside it, and the floor mat in front curls up at the corner. OSHA Scan flags those conditions with a possibly related standard and a fix. It doesn't read posters or decide which ones you need — for that, use the free poster checker for federal posters and your state labor department for state ones.
The OSHA poster is one of several federal posters — how they fit together
The OSHA poster comes from OSHA. Most other federal posters come from the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division and other agencies, and each has its own coverage rule. Most private employers post the minimum wage (FLSA) and polygraph (EPPA) posters and provide the USERRA notice, which can be posted or handed out. Some depend on size: FMLA for private employers with 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks, and the EEOC 'Know Your Rights' poster generally at 15 or more employees. Others depend on the work — Davis-Bacon on covered federal construction contracts, MSPA and H-2A on farms with covered workers. State and local posters add another layer, and the Department of Labor points employers to their state labor departments for those.
Most posting problems aren't missing posters; they're posters nobody can see. A board behind the break room door, a poster under months of schedules, a job site where the poster sits in a trailer the crew never enters. Put the board where people actually stop, keep it at eye level, and give it a clear zone where nothing hangs in front of it. A routine photo scan of the posting area makes covered posters easy to spot, and the dated record shows what the board looked like on a given day.
How to post the OSHA poster the right way
Run through these steps before crews start — each one covers a visible gap the AI can help you catch.
- 1
Get the right poster
Download OSHA's free It's the Law poster, or your State Plan's version if one covers you.
- 2
Print it at full size
Print it at least 8.5 by 14 inches with at least 10-point type, or order a printed copy.
- 3
Post it where workers look
Put it in each establishment where employee notices are usually posted, at eye level, away from coat hooks and doors.
- 4
Cover every crew
For job sites, fields, and other spread-out work, post it where employees report each day.
- 5
Re-check regularly
Look for covered, torn, or outdated posters and replace them. A dated photo scan documents each check.
What a photo scan checks around your posting area
A scan can't read a poster or decide which ones you need, but it can see when a posting area has stopped doing its job.
Covered or blocked posters
Coats, vests, boxes, or newer papers hung over the board, so the notices underneath can't be read.
Blocked electrical panels nearby
Cardboard, ladders, and other material stored in front of electrical panels, which often share the same hallway as the posting board.
Trip hazards where people stop
Curled mats, cords, and clutter at the spot where workers clock in and stop to read notices.
A fix for each finding
Each flagged item comes with a possibly related OSHA standard and a corrective action, ranked by risk, so you know what to clear first.
Demo: the report a scanned photo comes back with
Scan a photo like the one above and this is the report you get — score, findings, OSHA references, and fixes. It is an illustrative example, clearly marked — not live scan data.
Example report
Illustrative — not live scan dataCompliance score
79
Lower means more potential hazards found
Score uses visible confirmed findings only. Not a safety certification.
3 confirmed · 0 need review · 0 positive
2 Medium1 Low3 locked
1Work jackets and a hi-vis vest hung on hooks over the bulletin board, covering the lower posters
MediumPossibly related to keeping the OSHA poster posted and not covered by other material (29 CFR 1903.2(a)(1))
Observed condition: OSHA expects employers to take steps so posted notices aren't covered by other material. With jackets hanging over the board, workers can't read what's underneath — and the covered notices may include the OSHA poster itself.
Corrective action: Move the coat hooks away from the board, or move the posters to a clear spot at eye level where workers stop each day. Keep the OSHA poster where nothing can hang in front of it.
High confidence
2Flattened cardboard and a stepladder leaning against the wall at the electrical panel
MediumPossibly related to keeping working space around electrical equipment clear of storage (29 CFR 1910.303(g)(1)(ii))
Observed condition: The working space at an electrical panel has to stay clear so someone can reach it and work on it quickly. Cardboard stacked there also puts fuel right next to electrical equipment.
Corrective action: Send the cardboard to recycling and store the ladder somewhere else. Keep the full working space in front of the panel clear, and mark the floor if storage keeps creeping back.
Medium confidenceNot fully clear from the photo — verify on site.
3Rubber floor mat curled up at one corner in the walkway
LowPossibly related to keeping walking-working surfaces free of hazards (29 CFR 1910.22(a)(3))
Observed condition: A curled mat edge catches toes and cart wheels, and this one sits where people stop to clock in and read the board.
Corrective action: Flatten or replace the mat, or hold the edge down with a beveled edge strip until a replacement arrives.
High confidence
AI-generated analysisThese findings are potential hazards flagged by AI from a single photo. They are a starting point for your own review — not an official OSHA determination. Verify conditions on site with a qualified person before acting.
Try it free
Now scan your own photo — free
Upload a photo like the one above and get a compliance score and hazard count. No account needed to scan, though you may be asked for the free phone Access Pass — create a free account to unlock the full report.
- Posted notices in your photo that are covered by coats, boxes, or other material
- Hazards around the posting area, like blocked electrical panels and trip hazards
- A possibly related OSHA standard and a fix for each finding — not a poster audit
Live OSHA hazard analysis
One lifetime free photo scanPhoto scan — freeVideo walkthrough scan — free account
1Upload photo
2AI analysis
3See report
Use the real site or facility name. If you save the scan after signup, it becomes the report name.
Three angles, one deeper scan
Only the wide shot is required — every extra angle gives the AI more places to look.
Required: Set the scene — one wide shot lets the AI sweep the whole area at once
Stand at the entry point and capture corner to corner: floors, ladders, scaffolds, and everyone at work
or choose from your library
Drop a job-site photo or walkthrough video
Click to upload, drag & drop, or snap a photo on site. Photos scan free with no signup and no card — you may be asked for the free phone Access Pass. Video walkthroughs (up to 3 min) run on a free account.
References relevant OSHA standardsPrivate - deleted in 48h unless you save it
Accuracy boosters
Small habits, sharper scans
2
Capture clearly
Make the frame usable
Light it right
Keep the sun or lights behind you — glare and shadows hide hazards.
Tap to focus
Tap the hazard on screen and hold still one second — blur can't be flagged.
3
Choose the useful view
Give the AI room to understand
Go landscape
Turn your phone sideways — a wider frame catches more of the scene.
No job-site photo handy?
or scan with video
Only upload photos you have permission to use, and avoid images showing personal, customer, or confidential information. Demo photos and results are held privately for up to 48 hours so you can save them to a free account; unclaimed photos are deleted automatically. Results are an AI-assisted preliminary review, not an official OSHA determination.
New: Video walkthrough scans
Record up to 3 minutes of your site — the AI extracts frames and categorizes findings with exact timestamps. Free account required.
Get the best results
Wide shot first
Stand at the entrance and photograph the entire work area so AI sees the full context
Hazard areas
Photograph elevated surfaces, equipment, electrical panels, and anywhere workers are active
Close-ups last
Move in close on anything damaged, missing, or that looks risky — the AI catches more detail
The 12-point OSHA poster checklist
From getting the right poster to keeping it readable. The first four are free — create a free account to unlock the rest and scan your own posting areas for covered notices and nearby hazards.
- 1
Get the current OSHA poster
Download or order OSHA's free 'Job Safety and Health — It's the Law' poster (OSHA 3165). The Department of Labor lists the 2019 revision as current and says earlier versions are still acceptable.
- 2
Check for a State Plan poster
If an OSHA State Plan covers you, post the state's poster (1903.2(a)(2)). Employers whose operations the State Plan doesn't cover post the federal one.
- 3
Post it in each establishment
Every physical location where you do business gets its own poster. If distinctly separate activities share one location, each activity counts as its own establishment (1903.2(b)).
- 4
Pick a conspicuous spot
Post it where notices to employees are customarily posted (1903.2(a)(1)) — such as the time clock, the break room, or the main employee entrance.
Free printable templatePDF · US Letter
OSHA and Labor Law Poster Board Checklist
Use this form to check each posting location on a regular schedule and whenever a poster is updated, your headcount changes, or crews start reporting somewhere new.
On the form
- 12 checklist items with Yes / No / N/A boxes and room for notes
- 4 points to confirm separately with records or a qualified person
- A corrective-action log and sign-off lines
- Federal references checked against the eCFR on October 10, 2026
A free account is required to download it.
Non-English documents are automated translations, not official OSHA translations. Citations, limits and names are kept as written.
OSHA Scan template — not an official government form and not legal advice.
Keep a record of the federal posters at each site
For each site you add in OSHA Scan, answer a few questions to build its federal poster list and download a print packet of the official government posters. Mark each poster as posted with the date and a photo. When an agency publishes a newer version of a poster you marked as posted, that site shows "Re-post needed". A free account includes the poster list, print packet, photo proof, on-screen posting status and one status report download. Paid packages add a worker poster link with a QR code and re-post alert emails; for most posters an online copy is extra, not a replacement for the posted one. Statuses are your team's records, not a legal review, and state posters are not tracked.
Track posters freeWhat the AI can and can't detect
OSHA Scan reads a single photo. That makes it fast and easy for anyone on site — but it also means it has real limits. Here's an honest look at both.
What it can catch from a photo
- Posters covered by coats, boxes, or newer papers
- Posting boards blocked by stored material or equipment
- Storage and clutter in electrical working space nearby
- Trip hazards such as curled mats and cords in the posting area
What a photo can't tell it
- Which posters your business is required to display
- Whether a poster is the current version or the right state edition
- Small or distant poster text
- Whether every shift and crew can reach the board
OSHA Scan gives an AI-assisted preliminary review from a photo. It does not replace an on-site inspection by a qualified safety professional, and a compliance score is not an official OSHA determination.
AI photo hazard review
Snap a photo of the job site, and the AI categorizes findings against OSHA standards.
Consistent corrective actions & JHA
Each finding includes consistent corrective actions and structured JHA outputs. Check items off as your crew resolves them.
Compliance scoring
Every inspection gets a deterministic 0-100 compliance score derived from hazard severity, so you can track sites at a glance.
A prioritization aid based on recorded findings—not a certification or a complete measure of site safety.
PDF & Excel exports
Generate detailed inspection reports and export data to Excel for record-keeping and stakeholders.
A qualified person must review AI-flagged items before making safety decisions. Do not replace required comprehensive safety walkthroughs with AI reports. Features, limits, and downloads depend on your account’s plan and permissions.
OSHA Scan in Action
See the workflow click into place
Illustrative AI-assisted workflows. Review the findings; they are not a compliance certification.
Always confirmed by a person on site
A scan is a fast first look, not the final word. Before treating this kind of area as safe, a competent person should still confirm:
- Each establishment displays the OSHA poster, or your State Plan's version, where notices are usually posted
- Printed copies are at least 8.5 by 14 inches with readable type
- Crews at job sites and fields can see a poster where they report each day
- Your federal, state, and industry posters match your headcount and the work you do
People also ask
Is the OSHA poster required?
Yes, for private employers covered by federal OSHA. 29 CFR 1903.2 requires each employer to post and keep posted OSHA's notice — the 'Job Safety and Health — It's the Law' poster — in each establishment, where notices to employees are customarily posted. If an OSHA State Plan covers you, post the state's version instead. The poster is free from OSHA.
Where should the OSHA poster be posted?
In each establishment, in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted (29 CFR 1903.2(a)(1)). Common spots are the time clock, the break room, or the main employee entrance. On construction sites, farms, and other spread-out operations, post it where employees report each day; if they don't report to one place, post it where they operate from (29 CFR 1903.2(b)).
What size does the OSHA poster have to be?
OSHA's rule says reproductions must be at least 8.5 by 14 inches with at least 10-point type, and the heading should generally be at least 36-point (29 CFR 1903.2(a)(3)). If you print your own, check that your printer can handle legal-size paper or larger, or order a printed copy from OSHA.
Do I need the OSHA poster in Spanish?
OSHA's regulations don't require a foreign-language poster, but OSHA encourages employers with Spanish-speaking workers to also display the Spanish version (OSHA 3167). Other federal posters have their own rules — for example, the Department of Labor says that where a workforce isn't proficient in English, the FMLA notice must be provided in the language employees speak.
Can OSHA Scan tell me which posters I need?
Not from a photo. OSHA Scan reviews a photo of your posting area for visible problems — posters covered by coats, cardboard stacked at a nearby panel, a curled mat — and gives each a possibly related standard and a fix. To see which federal posters may apply to your business, use OSHA Scan's free poster checker; for state posters, check with your state labor department. OSHA Scan is an AI-assisted second set of eyes and is not affiliated with OSHA.
Reviewed by OSHA Scan Editorial
This content is produced by the OSHA Scan Editorial team and reviewed with AI assistance. It is general safety information, not legal or compliance advice. OSHA Scan is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor.
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