UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

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Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, Federal Register notices (rules and proposed rules), directives (instruction to OSHA staff), and letters of interpretation (official letters of interpretation of the standards), and national consensus standards related to landscape and horticulture services.

OSHA

Frequently Cited Standards

OSHA maintains a listing of the most frequently cited standards for specified 6-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. Please refer to OSHA's Frequently Cited OSHA Standards page for additional information. For Landscape and Horticultural Services, use NAICS code 561730 in the NAICS search box.

Other Highlighted Standards

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910.22, General requirements
• 1910.23, Ladders
• 1910.27, Scaffolds and rope descent systems
• 1910.134, Respiratory protection [related topic page]
  • Appendix A, Fit testing procedures (Mandatory)
  • Appendix B-1, User seal check procedures (Mandatory)
  • Appendix B-2, Respirator cleaning procedures (Mandatory)
  • Appendix C, OSHA respirator medical evaluation questionnaire (Mandatory)
  • Appendix D, Information for employees using respirators when not required under standard (Mandatory)
• 1910.136, Foot protection
• 1910.138, Hand protection
• 1910.147, The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) [related topic page]
• 1910.151, Medical services and first aid [related topic page]
• 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks [related topic page]
• 1910.243, Guarding of portable powered tools [related topic page]
• 1910.268, Telecommunications (e.g., when trimming near communication lines)
• 1910.332, Training
• 1910.334, Use of equipment
• 1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens [related topic page]

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926.25, Housekeeping
• 1926.50, Medical services and first aid
• 1926.51, Sanitation
• 1926.100, Head protection
• 1926.101, Hearing protection
• 1926.102, Eye and face protection
• 1926.307, Mechanical power-transmission apparatus
• 1926.403, General requirements (Electrical)
• 1926.451, General requirements (Scaffolds)
• 1926.501, Duty to have fall protection [related topic page]
• 1926.600, Equipment
• 1926.601, Motor vehicles
• 1926.602, Material handling equipment
• 1926.604, Site clearing
• 1926.651, Specific excavation requirements
• 1926.1000, Rollover protective structures (ROPS) for material handling equipment
• 1926.1001, Minimum performance criteria for rollover protective structures for designated scrapers, loaders, dozers, graders, and crawler tractors
• 1926.1002, Protective frames (roll-over protective structures, known as ROPS) for wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors used in construction
• 1926.1003, Overhead protection for operators of agricultural and industrial tractors
• 1926.1060, Training requirements

Federal Register Notices

• Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution; Electrical Protective Equipment; Final Rule; Stay of Enforcement and Correction. Final Rules 59:33658-33664, (June 30, 1994). Corrects the enforcement of some of the requirements contained in the electric power generation standard, language in the preamble explaining the standard, and several additional errors.
• Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution; Electrical Protective Equipment. Final Rules 59:4320-4476, (January 31, 1994). Addresses the work practices to be used during the operation and maintenance of electric power generation, transmission, and distribution facilities. The standard includes requirements relating to working near energized parts, and line-clearance tree trimming.

Directives

• Enforcement of the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Standard. CPL 02-01-038 [CPL 2-1.38], (June 18, 2003). Provides information to assist OSHA compliance personnel in performing inspections at electric power generation, transmission, and distribution lines, and equipment and other installations covered by 29 CFR 1910.269.
• Enforcement Procedures for the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens. CPL 02-02-069 [CPL 2-2.69], (November 27, 2001). Establishes policies and provides clarifications to ensure uniform inspection procedures are followed when conducting inspections to enforce the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
• Logging Operations, Inspection Procedures and Interpretive Guidance Including Twelve Previously Stayed Provisions. CPL 02-01-022 [CPL 2-1.22], (September 27, 1996). Establishes revised policies and provides clarification to ensure uniform enforcement of the Logging Operations Standard (29 CFR 1910.266). These policies and procedures have been amended in part to clarify enforcement of the previously stayed provisions of the standard. Current policy requires arborists to comply with portions of OSHA's logging standard (29 CFR 1910.266) when performing logging operations, such as felling trees. Proposed citations of employers in SIC 0783 under the logging standard are reviewed by OSHA's National Office.
• Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution; Electrical Protective Equipment; Final Rule. CSP 01-01-028 [STP 2-1.172], (April 15, 1994). Describes a federal program change to the regions and state designees.
• Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices -- Inspection Procedures and Interpretation Guidelines. STD 01-16-007 [STD 1-16.7], (July 1, 1991). Establishes policies and provides interpretive guidelines to ensure uniform enforcement of the standard for Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices, 29 CFR 1910.331 through 29 CFR 1910.335.

Letters of Interpretation

• Protection of ground-level workers from lowering of aerial lift bucket. (September 23, 1999).
• Clarification of 1910.269 as applied to line-clearance tree-trimming operations. (April 26, 1999).
• Occupational noise exposure standard affords protection to landscape service industry employees. (March 19, 1999).
• Acceptability of western style hard hats. (December 31, 1998).
• Apparel requirements for line-clearance tree-trimmers. (October 29, 1998).
• Fall protection anchorage points: guardrail systems and cranes. (June 8, 1998).
• Interpretation of the First Aid standard. (December 11, 1996).
• Interpretation of the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution standard. (June 4, 1996).
• Scope of logging standard - 1910.266. (March 12, 1996).
• OSHA's new fall protection standards for construction will prohibit use of safety belts with side dee rings as part of a personal fall arrest system. (September 25, 1995).
• Clarification of electric power generators, transmission and distribution standard. (July 18, 1994).
• Bloodborne pathogens standard's relationship to employees trained in first aid around electrical lines. (September 4, 1992).
• Bloodborne pathogen standard's applicability to electric utilities. (July 28, 1992).
• Landscape employees working in extreme temperatures. (July 14, 1992).
• The correct testing procedure for tree-trimming saddle belts. (May 7, 1982).

National Consensus

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

The following voluntary ANSI standards may be applicable to the landscaping and horticultural industry. Compliance with ANSI standards does not ensure compliance with OSHA policy, although the requirements of some ANSI standards have been adopted within OSHA standards. This list is provided for reference use only.

• A10.14, Requirements for Safety belts, Harnesses, Lanyards, Lifelines, and Drop Lines for Constructional and Industrial Use
• A14.1, Ladders - Portable Wood - Safety Requirements
• A14.2, Ladders - Portable Metal - Safety Requirements
• A14.5, Stepladders and Platform Ladders, Aluminum Magnesium, Fiberglass Ladders
• A92.2, Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Aerial Devices
• A300, Tree Care Operations - Tree, Shrub and Other Woody Plant Maintenance - Standard Practices
• B30.5, Mobile and Locomotive Truck Cranes
• B71.1, Powered Lawn Mowers and Garden Tractors
• B71.3, Snow Throwers
• B71.4, Commercial Turf Type Equipment
• B71.6, Shredders and Grinders
• B71.8, Tillers
• B175.1, Gasoline Powered Chain Saws, Safety Requirements
• B175.2, Blowers
• B175.3, Trimmers and Brushcutters
• Z41, Protective Footgear Requirements
• Z87.1, Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Devices
• Z89.1, Personnel Protection - Protective Headgear for Industrial Workers - Requirements
• Z133.1, Arboricultural Operations Safety
• Z308.1, Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits
• Z359.1, Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems, and Components