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.

• 1904, Recording and reporting occupational injuries and illness

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart N, Materials handling and storage
  • 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks [related topic page]
• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1200, Hazard communication [related topic page]
  • 1910.1201, Retention of DOT markings, placards and labels

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• Plain Language Revision of OSHA Instruction STD 3.1, Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction. STD 03-00-001 [STD 3-0.1A], (1999, June 18). Contains a plain language re-write of OSHA Directive STD 3.1, the Agency's interim enforcement policy on fall protection for certain residential construction activities.
• Inspection Procedures for Enforcing Subpart L, Scaffolds Used in Construction - 29 CFR 1926.450-454. CPL 02-01-023 [CPL 2-1.23], (1997, January 7). Establishes inspection procedures and provides clarification to ensure uniform enforcement of the scaffold standards for construction.
• Special Emphasis: Trenching and Excavation. CPL 02-00-069 [CPL 2.69], (1985, September 19). Establishes a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to identify trenching and excavation operations for programmed safety inspections.
• Search all available directives.

• Use of a warning line instead of conventional fall protection; Part 1926 Subpart M. (2005, January 3).
• Residential fall protection: safety monitors; walking top plate of braced walls in installation; warning line; plating exterior walls; height limitation; non-roofer PPE; slide guards. (2004, November 30).
• Employees are not permitted to erect roof trusses/rafters while working from the exterior top plate. (2004, August 23).
• Construction of homes with masonry walls is not considered "residential construction" in applying STD 03-00-001. (2004, May 17).
• Evaluation of the use of aluminum forms as an exit route from trench excavations. (2004, May 11).
• Fall protection during roofing inspections, investigations, and assessments. (2004, March 12)
• The predominant use of structural steel would not be considered "residential construction". (2004, March 1).
• Fall protection requirements for stairwells and mechanical chase openings surrounded by interior stud walls in residential construction. (2003, December 22).
• Clarification on several issues regarding OSHA's construction industry standards for fall protection. (2003, December 18).
• Fall protection requirements for construction workers doing work while on a roof. (2003, December 15).
• Requirements for fall protection when ladder jack scaffolds are used for residential and commercial construction. (2003, July 7). Identifies height limitations for ladder jack scaffolds and when fall protection is required.
• Fall protection requirements for homes built of block and masonry construction. (2003, June 30). Indicates concrete and steel construction are not considered residential construction, only wood framing is considered residential contruction.
• Alternative fall protection procedures for residential construction. (2002, November 20). For purposes of allowable fall protection, residential building height limited to 48 feet or 3 1/2 stories.
• Fall protection requirements for employees, other than roofers, working on low-slope roofs. (2002, November 15). Alternative methods only for residential construction, precast concrete, or leading-edge work.
• Fall protection requirements for roofing work in residential construction versus roofing work in other areas of construction. (2002, April 18). Specified work practices are permitted to replace standard fall protection requirements in some cases.
• Clarification of residential construction's use of slide guards and other fall protection. (2000, May 25). Defines residential construction and several aspects specific to residential construction.
• Clarification of residential construction and fall protection requirements. (2001, August 16). Defines residential construction.
• Fall protection requirements for residential construction (STD 3-0.1A). (2000, August 10). Definition of residential construction as it applies to the scope of OSHA Directive STD 03-00-001 [STD 3-0.1A].
• Search all available standard interpretations.

• Focused Inspections in Construction. OSHA, (1996, May). Recognizes the efforts of responsible contractors who have implemented effective safety and health programs. Provides an overview of the basic guidance OSHA has provided to its compliance safety and health officers (CSHO's) for determining which projects are eligible for focused construction inspections and how those inspections are to be conducted.