Letters of Interpretation | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Letters of Interpretation

OSHA requirements are set by statute, standards, and regulations. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. Each letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of the requirements discussed.

Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information.

These letters of interpretation and the standards they address may not apply to OSHA State Plans. State Plans are required to have standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as OSHA's and may have different or additional requirements. Please see OSHA-approved State Plans for more information.

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How to Request a Letter of Interpretation

Date	Title	Standard Number
06/12/2006	Operations that trigger the requirement for employers to provide washing facilities on construction jobsites under 29 CFR 1926.51(f)(1).	1926.51, 1926.51(f)(1), 1926.59, 1910.1200
10/24/2005	Training programs for the Control of Hazardous Energy (LOTO) and for the Hazard Communication standard are not satisfied solely by merely providing employees written documentation.	1910.147, 1910.147(c)(7)(i), 1910.1200, 1910.1200(h)
06/23/2005	Applicable regulations when handling waste material classified as "sludge exempt" in regards to the Hazard Communication and HAZWOPER standards.	1910.120, 1910.120(a)(3), 1910.120(q), 1910.1200, 1910.1200(c)
04/27/2005	Requirements for maintaining Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for coal including coal dust, fly ash, and silica dust.	1910.1000 TABLE Z-1, 1910.1000 TABLE Z-3, 1910.1200, 1910.1200(d), 1910.1200(g)
04/14/2005	Requirements for maintaining material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for consumer art products and office cleaning products.	1910.1200, 1910.1200(b)(6)(ix)
04/04/2005	Requirement to disclose all chemicals having scientific evidence that they pose a health risk regardless of concentrations present in the product on the MSDS.	1910.1200, 1910.1200(g)(2)(i)(C)(2)
02/08/2005	MSDS's must be provided to employees who package/process drugs for distribution into final form if they contain hazardous chemicals	1910.1200, 1910.1200(b)(6), 1910.1200(b)(6)(vii), 1910.1200(e)
09/08/2004	Responsibility of the employer and manufacturer to present consistent information between the labels and material safety data sheets.	1910.1200
07/08/2004	Hazard Communication: classification of uninterruptible power source batteries and office chemicals as "consumer products."	1910.1200, 1910.1200(c)
05/27/2004	Requirements for manufacturers, who are no longer in business or have discontinued a product line, to provide MSDSs and product information.	1910.1200, 1910.1200(g)(1)
02/11/2004	Application of the hazard communication standard to latex paints containing less than 6% crystalline silica.	1910.1200
02/05/2004	Material safety data sheet requirements for experimental chemical mixtures that are shipped off-site.	1910.1200, 1910.1200(b)(3)(iv), 1910.1200(g)
10/16/2003	OSHA-recognized chemicals as carcinogens or potential carcinogens for Hazard Communication purposes	1910.1200, 1910.1200(d)(4)(iii), 1910.1200(d)(5)(ii)
08/27/2003	Current OSHA initiatives to improve quality of chemical hazard information provided to workers.	1910.1200, 1910.1200(g)
05/12/2003	Determination of airborne concentrations of methylene chloride; protection of employees covered by 1910.1052	1910.1052, 1910.1052(k), 1910.1200
03/07/2003	Employee and employee representative access to MSDS; accompanying CSHOs on inspections.	1910.1200, 1903 - Table of Contents, 1910.1200(g)(8), 1903.8, 1903.8(a), 1903.8(b), 1903.8(c), 1903.8(d)
10/23/2001	Criteria for trade secret status	1910.1200(i)
03/23/2001	Storage of flammable liquids and corrosives in the same cabinet.	1910.106, 1910.1200(g)
01/23/2001	Hazards of Inipol EAP22 used during cleanup of oil spills.	1910.1200
01/11/2001	Labeling requirements under the HAZCOM and Laboratory standards;use of safe needle devices.	1910.1200(f), 1910.1450(h)(1)(i), 1910.1030(d)(2)(i)