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.

Filters


Date Title Standard Number
Acceptable time lapse for "annual" training. 1910.1030, 1910.1030(g)(2)(v)
Locked first aid cabinets in the workplace. 1910.151(b)
The use of safety-engineered devices and work practice controls in operating rooms; hospital responsibility to protect independent practitioners under BBP standard. 1910.1030, 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)
Requirement for facility owners to notify tenants or employers of presence of ACM and PACM. 1910.1001, 1910.1001(j)(2)(iii), 1926.1101, 1926.1101(k)(2)(i), 1926.1101(k)(2)(ii)(D)
OSHA requirements for providing training for first aid, CPR, and BBP for prompt treatment of injured employees at various workplaces. 1910.151, 1910.151(b), 1910.266, 1910.266(i)(7), 1910.269, 1910.269(b), 1910.1030, 1910.1030(b), 1910.1030(g)(2), 1926.50, 1926.50(c)
Whether §1926.550(g) applies to boom-attached personnel lifting platforms and, if not, whether OSHA requires proof testing of such platforms; what is the meaning of "at each new job site" in ASME B30.23; and what standards apply to derrick mounted bu 1926.550, 1926.550(a), 1926.550(a)(1), 1926.550(g), 1926 Subpart N
Annual BBP training requirement for employees who have been provided more stringent training under 32 CFR Part 627 and the CDC-NIH BMBL publication. 1910.1030, 1910.1030(g)(2)(ii)
Whether dental anesthetic carpules are considered to be "contaminated sharps" or "regulated waste". 1910.1030, 1910.1030(b), 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)(A), 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)(B)
Use of rapid HIV antibody testing on a source individual after an exposure incident. 1910.1030, 1910.1030(f)(3)(ii)(A)
Application of the Lockout/Tagout standard to die-setting activities and other machine setup operations. 1910.147, 1910.147(a)(2)(ii), 1910.147(a)(2)(iii)(A), 1910.147(b), 1910.212
"Continuous industrial processes" and the infeasibility of de-energizing equipment under 29 CFR 1910.333. 1910.333, 1910.333(a)(1)
Clarification of use of the annual audiogram in place of the baseline. 1910.95, 1910.95(g)(9)
Whether inspections for portable fire extinguishers can be reduced from monthly to quarterly intervals. 1910.155, 1910.155(c)(27), 1910.157, 1910.157(d)(3), 1910.157(e), 1910.157(e)(2)
Qualifications required under 1910.269 for entry into manholes/vaults to perform work on energized conductors. 1910.146, 1910.269, 1910.269(a)(2), 1910.269(a)(2)(ii), 1910.269(e)(2), 1910.269(l)(1), 1910.269(l)(2), 1910.269(t)
Use of "objective data" to accurately characterize employee exposures to hexavalent chromium during welding operations 1910.1026(d)(3), 1926.1126(d)(3)
OSHA requirements for warning signs and protection from electric-arc-flash hazards and compliance with NFPA 70E-2004. 1910.5, 1910.5(c)(1), 1910.5(f), 1910.132, 1910.145, 1910.303, 1910.303(e), 1910.333, 1910.333(a)(1), 1910.333(b)(2), 1910.335, 1910.335(b), 1910.335(b)(1), 1910.335(a)(1)(iv), 1910.335(a)(1)(v), 1910.335(a)(2)(i), 1910.335(a)(2)(ii)
Notification of alternative control methods for Class I asbestos work no longer required; notification requirement eliminated. 1926.1101
Updating the OSHA 300 Log to show changes in classification of previously recorded injuries/illnesses. 1904 - Table of Contents, 1904.33
Clarification of the Hexavalent Chromium Final Rule 1910.1026, 1910.1026(e), 1910.1026(f)(2), 1910.1026(h), 1910.1026(i), 1910.1026(j), 1910.1051(e), 1910.1052(e)
Fall protection requirements for tankers/trailers and OSHA jurisdiction over facilities regulated by DOE.