OSHA 10-Hour Construction
OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the federal agency (under the US Department of Labor) that sets and enforces workplace safety rules. The "10" refers to the 10 hours of training in this specific Outreach Training Program course — there's also a 30-hour version, below.
All figures editorial estimates. NABCEP and OSHA don't publish per-exam difficulty ratings.
What it is
A 10-hour hazard-awareness course covering falls, electrical hazards, struck-by and caught-in/between risks — the four leading causes of injury in construction. It's run through OSHA's Outreach Training Program by DOL-authorized providers.
It's not federally mandated on its own, but nearly every installation company, EPC, and general contractor requires it before letting anyone on a jobsite, and a growing number of states require it by law for construction permits. In practice, it's the most common first credential a new installer earns — often before NABCEP.
Careers it unlocks
In solar specifically, this credential is most relevant for:
Requirements
- None. It's open to anyone and is typically the very first credential a new installer completes, often before their first day on a jobsite.
Exam format & passing score
Questions
A short quiz (around 10 questions) after each module, plus a final exam of roughly 20–30 questions depending on the provider
Time allowed
The course itself takes a minimum of 10 hours, spread across at least 2 days since OSHA caps training at 7.5 hours/day. You have 180 days from enrollment to finish, including the final exam.
Multiple choice / true-false, delivered entirely online through a DOL-authorized Outreach provider
Passing score : 70% on each module quiz and on the final exam
You get up to 3 attempts per quiz and 3 attempts on the final exam under OSHA's Outreach Training Program rules. Fail all 3 attempts on any one of them and you have to re-purchase and restart the course.
How hard is it
There's no field-experience prerequisite and no competency test in the traditional sense — this is a hazard-awareness course, not a technical exam. The 70% threshold combined with 3 attempts per quiz makes it very accessible to someone with zero jobsite background.
This score is our editorial estimate based on published pass-rate data and requirement complexity — NABCEP and OSHA don't publish an official per-exam difficulty rating.
Cost
This is the cheapest and fastest credential on this list, and usually the first one a new installer earns.
Reimbursement & funding
Because it's typically a condition of employment rather than a career-advancement credential, OSHA 10 is one of the training costs most likely to be covered outright by the hiring company — many installers get it paid for directly before their start date, or reimbursed on their first paycheck.
- Employer-paid onboarding — extremely common for this specific course.
- WIOA / state workforce funding for job seekers going through a formal pre-hire training program.
- Union apprenticeship programs frequently bundle it into first-year training.
What it pays
Live salary data from current listings on Solar Roles for the roles this credential unlocks:
Get started today
For OSHA 10, HeatSpring runs the course through the OSHA Education Center at the University of South Florida, a DOL-authorized provider, so the card you earn is valid nationwide. It's offered in Spanish as well as English, with group pricing if you're getting certified alongside your crew.
*Solar Roles may earn a commission if you enroll through this link, at no extra cost to you. See our full, unsponsored comparison of training providers if you'd like to weigh other options.