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 H, Hazardous materials
  • 1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response [related topic page]
• 1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment
  • 1910.132, General requirements [related topic page]
    • Appendix B, Non-mandatory compliance guidelines for hazard assessment and personal protective equipment selection
  • 1910.134, Respiratory protection [related topic page]
• 1910 Subpart Q, Welding, cutting, and brazing
  • 1910.252, General requirements [related topic page]
• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1000, Air contaminants
    • Table Z-2
  • 1910.1200, Hazard communication [related topic page]

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment
  • 1915.151, Scope, application and definitions
  • 1915.152, General requirements
  • Appendix A, Non-mandatory guidelines for hazard assessment, personal protective equipment (PPE) selection, and PPE training program
• 1915 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1915.1000, Air contaminants

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart D, Occupational health and environmental controls
  • 1926.55, Gases, vapors, fumes, dusts, and mists
  • 1926.57, Ventilation
• 1926 Subpart E, Personal protective and life saving equipment
  • 1926.95, Criteria for personal protective equipment
• 1926 Subpart J, Welding and cutting
  • 1926.353, Ventilation and protection in welding, cutting, and heating

• Removal of Obsolete Sections. CPL 02-02-006 [CPL 2-2.6 CH-1], (1985, June 3). Transmits page changes that remove sections containing policies and procedures superseded by guidelines set forth in the Field Operations Manual (FOM), OSHA Instruction CPL 2.45A.
• Inorganic Mercury and its Compounds. CPL 02-02-006 [CPL 2-2.6], (1978, October 30). Provides guidelines to be followed in inspection, and where necessary, the issuance of citations, regarding exposure to mercury in the workplace.
• Search all available directives.

• PEL for inorganic mercury is a time weighted average, not a ceiling. (1996, September 3). Addresses the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for mercury.
• Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) Labeling Requirements for Industrial Thermometers. (1989, July 17). Discusses the fact that industrial thermometers are expected to break during normal conditions of use, exposing employees to mercury.
• Respiratory Protection for Mercury and Chlorine. (1989, March 1). Provides a response concerning respiratory protection for mercury and chlorine.
• Advertisement on cleaning up mercury spills from glass thermometers. (1987, July 10). Discusses misleading advertising of mercury thermometers.
• Use of Chemical Cartridge Respirators for Protection Against Mercury Vapor. (1985, November 15). Describes the chemical cartridge respirators.
• Allowable Airborne Concentrations of Mercury. (1976, June 30). States that the allowable airborne concentration of mercury shall be interpreted as 0.1 mg/m⁽³⁾ as determined on the basis of the full shift time-weighted average.
• Search all available standard interpretations.

• Exposure Limits. OSHA. Includes exposure limit information from OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).