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OSHA Requirements That May Apply to Your Workplace

by | May 24, 2013 | Articles, OSHA, Regulatory Compliance | 0 comments

[2013 | Keywords: Regulatory Compliance, OSHA]

In addition to the OSHA requirements covered in Steps 1, a number of other OSHA standards may apply to your workplace. The following checklist can help you identify other key OSHA standards that may apply and point you to information to help you comply with those standards.

1) If you have employees who operate machinery (e.g., saws, slicers, shears, slitters, power presses, etc.), you may be subject to OSHA’s Machine Guarding requirements.

 

2) If your employees service or maintain machines or equipment that could start up unexpectedly or release hazardous energy, you may be subject to OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout requirements.

 

3) Electrical hazards, such as wiring deficiencies, are one of the hazards most frequently cited by OSHA.

OSHA’s electrical standards include design requirements for electrical systems and safety-related work practices.

 

4) Employers must perform an assessment of each operation in their workplace to determine if their employees are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Note that engineering controls and work practices are the preferred methods for protecting employees. OSHA generally considers PPE to be the least desirable means of controlling employee exposure.

 

5) If necessary to protect the health of your employees, you must provide appropriate respirators. You must establish a Respiratory Protection program that meets the requirements of OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard.

 

6) Employers whose employees are exposed to excessive noise (e.g., conditions that make normal conversation difficult) may be required to implement a Hearing Conservation program.

 

7) Employers should evaluate their workplaces for the presence of confined spaces.

 

8) If employees may be exposed to blood or bodily fluids as part of their assigned duties, you may be subject to OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard.

 

9) If your employees operate Powered Industrial Trucks (i.e., forklifts), you may be subject to OSHA’s Powered Industrial Trucks standard.

 

This list is not comprehensive – additional OSHA standards may apply to your workplace. Be sure to review OSHA’s general industry standards (29 CFR 1910) for other requirements. In addition, section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, known as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to provide their employees with a workplace that is free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

  • You may review and print FREE copies of OSHA’s general industry standards from OSHA’s Web site (29 CFR 1910).
  • You may also order bound volumes of the standards from the Government Printing Office (GPO) at (866) 512-1800 or from GPO’s website. To get the complete set of general industry standards from GPO, you will need to order the following two volumes: (1) Title 29, Parts 1900 to 1910 (section 1910.1 to 1910.999) and (2) Title 29, Part 1910 (sections 1910.1000 to end).