Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".

Note: Twenty-four states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1018, Inorganic arsenic
    • Appendix A, Inorganic arsenic substance information sheet
    • Appendix B, Substance technical guidelines
    • Appendix C, Medical surveillance guidelines

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1915.1018, Inorganic arsenic. The requirements applicable to shipyard employment under this section are identical to those set forth by 29 CFR 1910.1018.

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1926.1118, Inorganic arsenic. The requirements applicable to construction work under this section are identical to those set forth by 29 CFR 1910.1018.

• Coke Oven Emissions and Inorganic Arsenic (1998)
  • III. Summary and Explanation
  • IV. Summary of the Final Economic Analysis
• Air Contaminants (1989)
  • VI. Health Effects Discussion and Determination of Final PEL
  • VII. Feasibility and Regulatory Analyses
• Search all available preambles to final rules.

• Consultation for Wood Treatment Operations Utilizing Inorganic Compounds. CSP 02-01-001 [TED 3.7], (1986, September 9). Outlines who has jurisdiction over occupational use of inorganic compounds (mainly arsenic) used as wood treatments/preservatives and what the occupational limits are.
• Search all available directives.

• Notification compliance for employees exposed above inorganic arsenic PEL. (1999, August 4). Clarifies sections of the inorganic arsenic standard.
• Chest X-Ray and sputum cytology requirements. (1996, August 19). Explains the medical surveillance requirements of the arsenic standard.
• Protective footwear requirements for inorganic arsenic and lead. (1993, February 12).
• Gloves are required for employees handling chloropicrin; Arsenic containing pesticides and wood preservatives are not within the scope of the inorganic arsenic standard. (1985, June 26). Outlines the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) and OSHA's jurisdictions over occupational exposures to pesticides and arsenic containing wood preservatives.
• General overview of safe handling of arsenic containing compounds. (1985, June 3).
• Search all available standard interpretations.

Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.

• Threshold Limit Value (TLV) and Biological Exposure Index (BEI) Resources. The TLV is 0.01 mg/m³ for arsenic and inorganic compounds, as As.