Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH), part of the Department of Labor and Industry, runs Virginia's State Plan. Most of its standards match federal OSHA, but a short list of Virginia unique standards adds training of its own, and a state heat illness standard is on the way. Here is what the official texts say.
Who VOSH covers
According to OSHA's State Plan page, Virginia's plan covers private-sector workplaces, with some exceptions, and state and local government workers; federal employers stay with federal OSHA.
Virginia unique standards
DOLI keeps the list of Virginia unique standards. Two with clear training rules:
- Reverse signal operation (16VAC25-97-50): for vehicles and equipment able to back up with an obstructed rear view, each driver and each designated observer or ground guide is trained before the work, with refresher training after a violation, an accident or near miss, or a poor evaluation.
- Tree trimming (16VAC25-73-30): before any arboricultural activity, each employee receives orientation and training, with refresher training in the same three cases.
The list also covers telecommunications confined spaces, fall protection in steel erection and the Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act.
Heat illness: a standard due by 2028
Virginia has no heat illness standard in force yet. DOLI's heat illness page says the 2026 General Assembly enacted legislation requiring the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt a Heat Illness Prevention Standard by May 1, 2028 (Va. Code § 40.1-44.2), including employee training. Until then, see our federal heat illness quiz.
Where a quiz fits
Refresher training "after a near miss" is the kind of session that is easy to run and hard to prove later. Federal standards adopted by Virginia keep their own training duties too, such as hazard communication (29 CFR 1910.1200(h)).
A short quiz on backing procedures or the job's hazards, played live from phones at the end of a session, shows what people actually understood, not only who signed the sheet. When you need evidence, run the same quiz in Test mode (Trainer plan): each worker answers under their own name, you set the pass mark, and you download a PDF learning assessment record with the date, the topic, the trainer, each person's answers and result, and a signature column. It sits next to the training records the state asks for; it does not replace the training, and Quizhat never certifies anyone. Quizhat is an independent tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA.
State rules change: read the current text on the state's site, or ask the state agency, before you rely on this summary. VOSH offers free consultation and courses through its Institute for Learning and Outreach.