How to Meet OSHA Requirements with Digital Signage

According to the National Safety Council, workplace injuries cost $176.5 billion in 2023 alone, including losses from productivity slumps, medical, and administrative expenses. 

This is why Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements exist. They keep workers safe. They are also mandatory, and failing to meet them can lead to costly fines or even shutdowns.

Part of these requirements is that every business, from warehouses to manufacturing plants, need to have clear, visible, and consistent safety communication. Posters and bulletin boards have been used in the past, but these don’t provide a complete solution. They often go unnoticed and can quickly become out of date.

Digital signage solves that. By displaying OSHA safety reminders, training information, and emergency alerts on screens around your facility, you can keep your team informed and your workplace compliant.

Here’s how screens can help you meet OSHA requirements and build a safer, more connected workplace.

Understanding OSHA requirements and why they matter

OSHA’s standards are designed to keep workers safe while they work, covering everything from hazard communication to emergency planning, recordkeeping, and even employee training. 

Here’s what OSHA expects employers to provide in a nutshell:

• Safe working conditions: Identify and control potential hazards.
• Training and education: Teach employees how to stay safe on the job.
• Clear communication: Make safety rules, hazards, and emergency information visible to everyone.
• Recordkeeping: Document injuries, incidents, and inspections.
• Emergency preparedness: Have clear plans and instructions for fires, spills, or severe weather.

Visit OSHA’s compliance assistance page to learn more about the responsibilities that apply to your specific workplace.

How effective are OSHA requirements at reducing injuries?

Independent studies found on the Department of Labor website show that OSHA has reduced workplace accidents by a wide margin. In 2012, Haviland et al. found that OSHA inspections with penalties were associated with a 19 to 24% decline in workplace injuries, and Gray and Mendeloff found in 2005 that mere notifications of inspections reduced accidents by 14%.

Meeting OSHA requirements can be challenging, especially for businesses that operate across multiple sites or shifts. That’s where digital signage can help. Screens make it easier to communicate emergency safety information, share training materials, and keep all employees aligned with OSHA standards. All without the constant need to print posters or paste new updates on bulletin boards.

How to use digital signage to meet OSHA requirements

Digital screens can be rapidly updated from anywhere making them the perfect tool for communicating emergency and hazard notifications, and even employee-centric messaging like training, and even company updates. 

Let’s quickly look at how you can use your screens to support each key OSHA requirement area.

1. Hazard communication and signage (29 CFR 1910.1200)

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires that all workplace hazards be clearly identified and accessible to employees. 

You can use your screens to display rotating messages that highlight specific risks, PPE reminders, and safety data sheet (SDS) summaries in real time.

In day to day operations, that could mean using your manufacturing digital signage to display “Hard hats must be work” reminders where necessary, or automatically updating chemical handling procedures based on the day’s schedule. 

2. Training and ongoing education 

Employee training is one of OSHA’s most critical requirements, and it’s spread across several key sections, including 29 CFR 1910.9 and 29 CFR 1910.38(e).

Digital signage supports this by reinforcing lessons beyond any seminar or workshop.

You can use screens to:

• Display upcoming training sessions or certifications.
• Play short video clips covering safe work practices.
• Share “Safety Tip of the Week” reminders or quiz results.
• Reinforce key training messages at shift changes.

This constant visibility helps employees retain what they’ve learned, improving overall compliance and safety awareness.

Read more about using digital signage for employee training.

3. Emergency action plans (29 CFR 1910.38)

In emergencies, every second counts and screens can help reduce response times. Part of the emergency action plans requirement is that all workplaces have clear emergency procedures and ensure all employees know what to do in case of fire, chemical spill, or severe weather.

Emergency alerts digital signage offers an easy-win solution here. When there’s an emergency, you can easily publish content to all your connected screens, no matter their location, and display warnings for fires, chemical spills, or severe weather.

ScreenCloud also integrates with the following alert systems:

• Raptor Technologies
• Singlewire
• Omnilert
• Alertus

Once connected, alerts from these platforms can be set-up to automatically display on your screens.

Read more: How to set up digital signage for emergency alerts with digital signage

4. Exit routes and fire protection (29 CFR 1910 Subpart E & L)

Our customers already use digital signage for wayfinding in a wide range of industries, from retail to education. But you can use your screens to comply with section 29 CFR 1910 Subparts E & L by displaying hard-to-miss exit routes. 

Here’s how screens can help here:

• Highlight nearest exits, extinguisher locations, and blocked routes.
• Use motion graphics or simple animations to make directions stand out.
• Update routes if/when an area is closed or under maintenance.

5. Personal protective equipment (29 CFR 1910 Subpart I)

Employees are required to know which PPE is necessary, and the scenarios to use them. You can achieve that with the same screens mounted on your manufacturing floors.

• Display visuals of required PPE (e.g., hard hats, gloves, goggles) for each area.
• Rotate reminders based on shift or location.
• Combine with checklists or QR codes linking to training resources.

6. Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147)

To protect workers from hazardous energy, employers must follow lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures during maintenance. This means clearly displaying LOTO reminders and step-by-step procedures near equipment, and, highlighting authorized personnel or maintenance windows.

Part of requirement 29 CFR 1910.147 is also automatically switching messages when a system is locked out or reactivated. 

All these can be achieved with digital screens integrated with your manufacturing systems, or manually updated when required. 

7. Recordkeeping and safety performance

You can use screens to visualize data that OSHA requires employers to track, like injury rates, incident reports, or audit scores.

Displaying metrics like “Days since last incident” or real-time safety dashboards helps employees see progress and stay motivated to maintain compliance. It also demonstrates to inspectors that safety information is being actively monitored and communicated.

See how easy OSHA compliance can be with ScreenCloud

With ScreenCloud, you can display safety information, training content, and emergency alerts across every screen, without needing any technical experience. That makes it so much easier to meet your workplace’s OSHA requirements, while also actively contributing towards your employees’ wellbeing.

Initial set up takes minutes, and you can run all your content from one simple dashboard, updating all your screens within seconds. 

Want to see how it works?

Book a demo or start your free trial today and find out just how simple OSHA compliance can be with ScreenCloud.