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

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Date Title Standard Number
Asbestos standard: Joint compound is not a surfacing material. 1910.1001(b), 1926.1101(b)
Training and competency for oxygen-fuel gas welding equipment use 1910.253(a)(4), 1910.252(a)(2)(xiii)(C)
Multiple interpretations regarding mechanical power presses 1910.217
HAZWOPER refresher training and training documentation. 1910.120(e), 1910.120(e)(2), 1910.120(e)(8), 1926.65(e), 1926.65(e)(2), 1926.65(e)(8)
Asbestos standard: Written opinion from the examining physician. 1926.1101(m)(4)(i)
Bloodborne pathogens standard covers immune globulins, albumin, and factors 8 and 9. 1910.1030(a)
Injury/illness recordkeeping: access to records (fax);recording standard threshold shifts. 1904 - Table of Contents
OSHA's position on providing a drug-free workplace.
Two-in/two-out procedure in firefighting/IDLH environments. 1910.134(g)(4), 1975.3(d)
OSHA's penalty determination policy and consultation service. 1908 - Table of Contents
Annual inspection of bakery ovens by qualified persons. 1910.263(l)(9)(ii)
A chest freezer is not considered a PRCS. 1910.146(c)(1)
Definition of residential construction; use of slide guards. 1926.501(b)(13)
Eating and drinking in a pharamacy. 1910.141(g)
Class III asbestos work: training, medical surveillance, PPE, and surfacing materials. 1926.1101
Fall protection during electrical maintenance and construction work on aerial lifts. 1926.451(f), 1926.453, 1926.556, 1926.502(d), 1910.67(c), 1910.269(g)
Waler (platform) covered by Subpart L; minimum scaffold platform width. 1926.451(b)(2), 1926.451(e), 1926.451(g)
Response to fires in permit-required confined spaces (PRCS). 1910.146, 1910.156(c)(4)
Using sunscreen to shield worker exposure to sun's radiation. 1910.132, 1910.132(a)
Separate or shared OSHA logs, use of splints, recordability of heart attack.