Multi-Employer Worksite Responsibilities

Talking points

1. On multi-employer construction sites, OSHA can cite four types of employers: the creating employer (who caused the hazard), the exposing employer (whose workers are exposed), the correcting employer (who is responsible for fixing it), and the controlling employer (who has general authority over the site).
2. The general contractor is typically the controlling employer and has the broadest responsibility for site safety — even for subcontractor activities.
3. If you see a hazard created by another trade, do not assume it is 'not your problem.' Report it to your supervisor and to the GC's safety team.
4. Subcontractors must comply with OSHA standards and the GC's site safety plan. Having your own safety program does not exempt you from site-specific rules.
5. Pre-task planning meetings with multiple trades help identify conflicts — like one crew cutting above another crew's work area.

Ask the crew

Are there any multi-trade conflicts today — different crews working above, below, or adjacent to each other — that we need to coordinate?

Standards this talk is built on

• 29 CFR 1926.16

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.

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