Alabama — Workplace Safety

Alabama does not operate an OSHA-approved state plan. Private-sector employers and workers in Alabama are subject to federal OSHA jurisdiction under 29 U.S.C. § 651 et seq. (the Occupational Safety and Health Act). State and local government workers are not covered by federal OSHA and have no OSH Act protections in Alabama. Federal OSHA enforces workplace safety and health standards through two area offices in Alabama, located in Birmingham and Mobile.

Source: OSHA State Plans

Private-sector employers in Alabama must post the federal OSHA "Job Safety and Health: It's the Law" poster in a conspicuous place where employees can see it (typically where notices to employees are customarily posted). The poster informs workers of their rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, including the right to a safe workplace, to report hazards without retaliation, and to request an OSHA inspection. Because Alabama does not operate an OSHA-approved state plan, employers use the federal poster, not a state equivalent. Reproductions or facsimiles are permitted if they are not less than 8½ × 14 inches with type not less than 10 points. OSHA provides the poster free of charge at osha.gov/publications/poster.

Source: 29 C.F.R. § 1903.2(a)(1)

Federal OSHA’s injury and illness recordkeeping rule applies to most private-sector employers in Alabama under 29 C.F.R. Part 1904, since Alabama does not operate its own OSHA-approved state safety plan. Employers with 11 or more employees at any time during the calendar year are generally required to maintain injury and illness records on OSHA Forms 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses), 300A (Summary), and 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) unless they are classified in a partially exempt low-hazard industry under Appendix A to the regulation.

Employee-count threshold: Employers with 10 or fewer employees throughout the previous calendar year are exempt from routine OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping. The count includes all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers who worked at any point during the year (not just at one time). However, OSHA can require records from these smaller employers in specific cases, such as when conducting a survey or investigating a workplace incident (29 C.F.R. § 1904.1).

Industry exemptions: Certain industries classified as low-hazard (examples include retail trade, finance, insurance, and certain service industries) are exempt from maintaining OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301 under 29 C.F.R. § 1904.2 and Appendix A. These partially exempt industries are determined by their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. However, all employers—including exempt ones—must still report any work-related fatality within 8 hours and certain serious injuries (in-patient hospitalization, amputation, loss of an eye) within 24 hours to OSHA (29 C.F.R. § 1904.39).

Recordkeeping for government entities: Public-sector (state and local government) employers in Alabama are not covered by federal OSHA.

Source: 29 C.F.R. Part 1904; 29 C.F.R. § 1904.1; 29 C.F.R. § 1904.2; 29 C.F.R. § 1904.39

Employers subject to OSHA’s recordkeeping rules must post the OSHA Form 300A, the annual summary of work‑related injuries and illnesses (not the detailed OSHA Form 300 log), in a conspicuous place where employee notices are customarily posted.

What must be posted: Only the OSHA Form 300A summary must be posted. The OSHA Form 300 log, which details individual cases, is not required to be posted for general employee viewing. (OSHA interpretation letters permit optional log posting if privacy requirements are observed.)

Posting period: The Form 300A must be posted from February 1 through April 30 of the year following the calendar year covered by the summary—a three-month window. This means the 2025 summary (for injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2025) must be posted beginning February 1, 2026 and stay up through April 30, 2026. 29 C.F.R. § 1904.32(b)(5).

Zero recordable cases: Even if no recordable injuries or illnesses occurred, the employer must complete, certify, and post the Form 300A for the covered year, showing zeros. This remains true unless the employer is otherwise exempt from all OSHA recordkeeping. OSHA FAQ: "If an employer has no recordable cases… the 300A must be completed, certified and posted."

Electronic submission is not a substitute: Employers required to electronically submit Form 300A data (e.g., 250+ employees, or 20–249 in specified high-hazard industries) must still post the physical 300A summary. Electronic submission does NOT eliminate the workplace posting duty.

Who must post: The requirement covers most private-sector employers with 11 or more employees unless classified in a partially exempt low-hazard industry (see 29 C.F.R. §§ 1904.1, 1904.2). Public-sector employers in Alabama are not covered by federal OSHA and need not post unless otherwise required by local law.

Source: 29 C.F.R. § 1904.32; OSHA FAQ – Must the 300A be posted if nothing to report?; OSHA Form 300A Requirements

Section 11(c) of the OSH Act — Federal anti-retaliation protections in Alabama

Private-sector employees in Alabama are protected by Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), which prohibits employers from retaliating (firing, demoting, disciplining, or taking any adverse action) against employees for exercising safety rights. This includes filing a complaint with OSHA, reporting a workplace hazard, cooperating in an OSHA inspection, or otherwise exercising any right under the OSH Act. The statutory language is broad: "No person shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against any employee because such employee has filed any complaint or ... exercised any right afforded by this chapter" (29 U.S.C. § 660(c)(1)).

Because Alabama does not operate its own state workplace safety and health plan, all anti-retaliation cases for private-sector employees are handled by federal OSHA. State and local government employees are not covered by the OSH Act or its anti-retaliation provisions in Alabama.

Deadline to file a retaliation complaint

A retaliation complaint under Section 11(c) must be filed with OSHA within 30 days after the adverse action occurs—specifically, within 30 days of when the employee is notified of the action (not when it takes effect). OSHA treats the filing date as the date OSHA is first contacted (phone, in person, online) or the official complaint is postmarked, faxed, or sent by email. Complaints filed after the deadline are generally time-barred, though in rare instances equitable tolling may apply (for example, if the employer conceals the retaliatory action).

OSHA investigates credible complaints and can seek remedies including reinstatement, back pay, and related damages in federal district court.

Source: 29 U.S.C. § 660(c)); OSHA Worker Participation — Section 11(c); OSHA Whistleblower Protection — OSH Act Fact Sheet