Todd Jerome Jenkins, MS, CSP, SMS, CHST, STSC

Safety Aficionado & Ph.D. Student

How to Read an OSHA Standard

What is an OSHA standard? 

An OSHA safety standard is a list of material and equipment requirements and guidelines, and instructions for employers to minimize employee risk in work performance.  An OSHA standard is an administrative law or regulation implemented to protect the health and safety of American workers.  The Occupational Safety and Health Act grants OSHA the authority to issue workplace health and safety regulations.

What is a title number and a CFR?

The title number represents one of 50 broad areas of Federal regulation.  The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

What are Chapters & Parts?

Each Chapter is divided into Parts.  All OSHA Standards are CFR Title 29, Labor, Chapter XVII.

Examples of parts include:

Part 1910: Safety and Health Standards for General Industry

Part 1915: Safety and Health Standards for Shipyard Employment

Part 1917: Safety and Health Regulations for Marine Terminals

Part 1918: Safety and Health Regulations for Longshoring

Part 1926: Safety and Health Regulations for Construction

Some Part 1910 (General Industry) Subparts include:

Subpart G, Occupational Health and Environmental Control

Subpart H, Hazardous Materials

Subpart I, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Subpart J, General Environmental Controls

What is a section?

Subparts are divided into Sections.  Each section is identified with a number.  In our example, .146 is the section, Permit-required confined spaces.  In this section of the subpart, you can expect to find the requirements for permit-required confined space.

What are Major Topic Paragraphs?

Sections are then divided into six separate sub-levels or sub-divisions, and the first or highest-level subdivision is the Major Topic Paragraph.  Our example (c) is for General requirements of permit-required confined space.

What are Paragraph Sub-Sections & Additional Sub-Divisions?

Major Topic Paragraphs are divided into Paragraph Sub-Sections and Paragraph Sub-Sections can be further divided.  For our example, the requirements of 1910.146(c)(5)(ii)(G)(3) are that “Measures shall be implemented to protect employees from the hazardous atmosphere before any subsequent entry takes place.”

If you have a question about this or any other safety-related topic, leave a comment below or contact me, and I will do my best to answer your question.

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