OSHA Requirements That Apply to Most General Industry Employers

[2013 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, OSHA]

The following are selected OSHA requirements that apply to many general industry employers.

1. Hazard Communication Standard. This standard is designed to ensure that employers and employees know about hazardous chemicals in the workplace and how to protect themselves. Employers with employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals in the workplace must prepare and implement a written Hazard Communication Program and comply with other requirements of the standard.

• Read a fact sheet on the 2012 revisions to the Hazard Communication Standard. OSHA Fact Sheet: Hazard Communication Standard Final Rule
• See a sample program. Model Plans and Programs for the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and Hazard Communications Standards. OSHA Publication 3186 (2003). Also available as a 520 KB PDF. [Disclaimer]
• Read the standards.
  • 29 CFR 1910.1200
  • OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Hazard Communication – OSHA Standards
• Learn more. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Hazard Communication

 

2. Emergency Action Plan Standard. OSHA recommends that all employers have an Emergency Action Plan. A plan is mandatory when required by an OSHA standard. An Emergency Action Plan describes the actions employees should take to ensure their safety in a fire or other emergency situation.

• Does this apply to me? OSHA eTool: Evacuation Plans and Procedures
• Read a fact sheet. OSHA Fact Sheet: Planning and Responding to Workplace Emergencies
• Review OSHA booklets
  • Principal Emergency Response and Preparedness – Requirements and Guidance. OSHA Publication 3122 (2004). Also available as a 620 KB PDF.
  • How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations. OSHA Publication 3088 (2001). Also available as a 252 KB PDF.
• See a sample program. Sample Emergency Action and Fire Prevention Plan, Illinois Consultation Program [Disclaimer]
• Create your own plan. OSHA eTool: Evacuation Plans and Procedures
• Read the standards. 29 CFR 1910.38
• Learn more. OSHA eTool: Evacuation Plans and Procedures

 

3. Fire Safety. OSHA recommends that all employers have a Fire Prevention Plan. A plan is mandatory when required by an OSHA standard.

• Read a fact sheet. OSHA Fact Sheet: Fire Safety in the Workplace [PDF* – 55 KB]
• Review plan requirements. OSHA eTool: Evacuation Plans and Procedures
• Create your own plan. OSHA Expert Advisor: Fire Safety Advisor
• Read the standards.
  • 29 CFR 1910.39
  • OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Fire Safety – Standards
• Learn more. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Fire Safety

 

4. Exit Routes. All employers must comply with OSHA’s requirements for exit routes in the workplace.

• Read a fact sheet. OSHA Fact Sheet: Emergency Exit Routes [PDF* – 72 KB]
• Read the standards. 29 CFR 1910.34, 29 CFR 1910.35, 29 CFR 1910.36, 29 CFR 1910.37

 

5. Walking/Working Surfaces. Floors, aisles, platforms, ladders, stairways, and other walking/working surfaces are present, to some extent, in all general industry workplaces. Slips, trips, and falls from these surfaces constitute the majority of general industry accidents. The OSHA standards for walking and working surfaces apply to all permanent places of employment, except where only domestic, mining, or agricultural work is performed.

• Review an OSHA booklet. Stairways and Ladders. OSHA Publication 3124 (2003). Also available as a 156 KB PDF.
• Read the standards.
  • 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D
  • OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Walking/Working Surfaces – Standards
• Learn more. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Walking/Working Surfaces

 

6. Medical and First Aid. OSHA requires employers to provide medical and first-aid personnel and supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace. The details of a workplace medical and first-aid program are dependent on the circumstances of each workplace and employer.

Read an OSHA booklet. Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program [PDF* – 164 KB]. OSHA Publication 3317 (2006)

• Read the standards.
  • 29 CFR 1910.151
  • OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Medical and First Aid – OSHA Standards
• Learn more. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page: Medical and First Aid

 

NOTE: To find the OSHA standards that are most frequently cited by OSHA inspectors, visit Frequently Cited OSHA Standards. On that Web page, you can find the most frequently cited federal or state OSHA standards based on your industry’s Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code and the number of employees in your establishment.