State Plan · SC OSHA

South Carolina Safety Training and OSHA Tailgate Talks

South Carolina runs its own State Plan, SC OSHA, for private employers and state and local government. Enforcement records show 2,725 inspections at private worksites in South Carolina opened from October 2020 to September 2026, with 3,140 citations.

Private employers
SC OSHA
State Plan
State and local government
SC OSHA
Same State Plan
Private-sector inspections
2,725
Oct 2020 – September 2026
Hazard ranking
Nationwide OSHA data
Built from 525,000+ OSHA citations nationwide

Which safety rules apply in South Carolina

South Carolina runs its own OSHA-approved State Plan, SC OSHA, under the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Division of OSH. It covers private employers and state and local government in South Carolina.

SC OSHA adopts the federal OSHA standards (29 CFR) by reference, with a few rules of its own.

Some work stays under federal OSHA even inside a State Plan state: maritime work (shipyards, marine terminals, longshoring), most federal enclaves and military bases, tribal land and U.S. Postal Service operations.

What gets cited in South Carolina, and what hurts people

Counts from U.S. Department of Labor OSHA enforcement records: inspections at private worksites in South Carolina opened from October 2020 to September 2026. Rankings and schedule data as of September 27, 2026.

The hazard cited most at private worksites in South Carolina is Hazard Communication (GHS labels & SDS): 14% of the citations grouped by hazard, against 6% across federal OSHA states. Among the others, the hazard that stands out most is Electrical safety: 11% here, 1.9 times its share across federal OSHA states. The industry that stands out most is Manufacturing: 29% of South Carolina’s citations, 1.9 times its share across all states.

Hazards cited most at private worksites in South Carolina

  1. Hazard Communication (GHS labels & SDS)381 citations
  2. Fall protection & working at heights298 citations
  3. Electrical safety290 citations
  4. Respiratory protection187 citations
  5. Machine guarding182 citations
  6. Forklifts & powered industrial trucks172 citations

87% of the 3,140 citations are under a standard the ranking can group by hazard.

Where South Carolina’s citations fall, by industry

  1. Construction29% · about 774
  2. Manufacturing29% · about 755 · 1.9×
  3. Residential & Commercial Services10% · about 257
  4. Warehousing & Distribution5% · about 119
  5. Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance4% · about 100 · 1.5×
  6. Retail3% · about 92 · 1.2×

By industry code; a code that fits two industries is split evenly. “×”: share here against the share across all states.

How the schedule ranks trades for South Carolina

Every trade in South Carolina is scheduled from the national pattern, built from 525,000+ OSHA citations nationwide (federal OSHA and State Plan inspections). Where a state’s own sample is small, the national pattern is the most reliable data available, so it sets the order here, with South Carolina’s own counts shown alongside (56 trades with a smaller South Carolina sample, 112 with some citations, 94 with none yet). A trade moves to a ranking built from South Carolina’s own citations once South Carolina has 150 or more for it since October 2020.

Trades with the most citations in South Carolina

The most-cited trades in South Carolina’s plan data, one per industry, with the hazards the app schedules for each. Trades whose industry code mostly belongs to another trade are left out.

Manufacturing

Plastics & Rubber

The Manufacturing trade with the most South Carolina citations in the plan data: 114 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses the national pattern for this trade, the most reliable data available for it. South Carolina’s own record is shown alongside (about 114 citations, about 3 deaths and about 1 hospitalization since October 2020).

South Carolina data

114 citations, about 3 deaths, about 1 hospitalization since October 2020

  1. 1Machine guarding · 22 citations, about 1 death
  2. 2Electrical safety · 17 citations, about 1 death
  3. 3Lockout/tagout (hazardous energy) · 11 citations

NationwideDrives the schedule

5,864 citations, about 28 deaths, about 78 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Machine guarding · 918 citations, about 3 deaths
  2. 2Lockout/tagout (hazardous energy) · 1,184 citations, about 1 death
  3. 3Caught-in & caught-between · 0 citations, about 6 deaths

Construction

Roofing

The Construction trade with the most South Carolina citations in the plan data: 111 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses the national pattern for this trade, the most reliable data available for it. South Carolina’s own record is shown alongside (111 citations and about 4 deaths since October 2020).

South Carolina data

111 citations, about 4 deaths since October 2020

  1. 1Fall protection & working at heights · 58 citations, about 3 deaths
  2. 2Ladder safety · 19 citations
  3. 3Aerial lifts & elevating work platforms · 12 citations

NationwideDrives the schedule

66,196 citations, about 315 deaths, about 100 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Fall protection & working at heights · 35,450 citations, about 237 deaths
  2. 2Ladder safety · 11,636 citations, about 21 deaths
  3. 3Personal protective equipment · 8,583 citations

Residential & Commercial Services

Painting - Commercial

The Residential & Commercial Services trade with the most South Carolina citations in the plan data: 44 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses the national pattern for this trade, the most reliable data available for it. South Carolina’s own record is shown alongside (44 citations since October 2020).

South Carolina data

44 citations since October 2020

  1. 1Fall protection & working at heights · 11 citations
  2. 2Respiratory protection · 5 citations
  3. 3Aerial lifts & elevating work platforms · 7 citations

NationwideDrives the schedule

3,935 citations, about 44 deaths, about 20 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Fall protection & working at heights · 734 citations, about 18 deaths
  2. 2Ladder safety · 466 citations, about 7 deaths
  3. 3Scaffolds · 436 citations, about 3 deaths

Warehousing & Distribution

General Warehousing

The Warehousing & Distribution trade with the most South Carolina citations in the plan data: 41 since October 2020.

Your schedule uses the national pattern for this trade, the most reliable data available for it. South Carolina’s own record is shown alongside (41 citations and about 4 deaths since October 2020).

South Carolina data

41 citations, about 4 deaths since October 2020

  1. 1Forklifts & powered industrial trucks · 18 citations, about 2 deaths
  2. 2Mobile equipment, haulage & jobsite vehicles · 0 citations, about 1 death

NationwideDrives the schedule

5,410 citations, about 54 deaths, about 108 hospitalizations since October 2020

  1. 1Forklifts & powered industrial trucks · 1,325 citations, about 16 deaths
  2. 2Electrical safety · 856 citations
  3. 3Fall protection & working at heights · 204 citations, about 9 deaths

How My Safety Solution works in South Carolina

  • When you set up your company, you pick South Carolina. The app then applies SC OSHA and builds your tailgate talk schedule from the national pattern, built from 525,000+ OSHA citations nationwide, with South Carolina’s own citations moving a trade onto state data once it has 150.
  • Each talk references the regulations it’s built on, from Cal/OSHA (Title 8) and federal OSHA (29 CFR). Title 8 applies only in California.
  • Talks don’t cite South Carolina’s own state rules, so check those with SC OSHA for your worksites.
  • With no federal or state standard for them, heat illness prevention (May 1 – Sep 30), wildfire smoke protection (Jul 1 – Oct 31) and cold & wet weather work (Nov 1 – Feb 28) are placed in season for outdoor trades as practice guidance; HazCom, emergency action and injury reporting, once a year.
  • Keep your OSHA 300 log, 300A summary and 301 incident reports in the app, built around 29 CFR 1904. Check SC OSHA’s own recordkeeping rules for anything it adds. Guidance, not legal advice.
  • Help with a written program or a SC OSHA citation: consulting, as advice and guidance, requested from your account. Our team’s credentials include CHST, OSHA 500, OSHA 10 & 30.

About our safety consulting

Start your South Carolina schedule

15-day free trial. No credit card required.

Create Account / Start Free TrialSign In

More states and next steps

Neighboring states