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 G, Occupational health and environmental control
  • 1910.94, Ventilation

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart D, Welding, cutting, and heating
  • 1915.51, Ventilation and protection in welding, cutting and heating.

Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)

• 1918 Subpart I, General working conditions
  • 1918.94, Ventilation and atmospheric conditions

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart D, Occupational health and environmental controls
  • 1926.57, Ventilation

• Tunnel/Underground construction requirements: use of flexible bag lines for ventilation; location of main ventilation fan; and reversible ventilation. (2003, February 25).
• Reiteration of Existing OSHA Policy on Indoor Air Quality: Office Temperature/Humidity and Environmental Tobacco Smoke. (2003, February 24).
• Vapor areas must be limited; concentrations must remain below 25% of the substances' lower flammable limit. (2002, September 10).
• Record retention requirements for indoor air quality documents and reports. (2002, August 1).
• Hierarchy of controls for exposure to air contaminants. (2002, June 24).
• Air monitoring results, citations, and employee exposure records. (2002, March 27).
• Clarification of minimum face velocity requirements for spray booths. (2001, October 22).
• Fall protection requirements for both residential and commercial HVAC systems; clarification of confined spaces. (2001, September 13).
• Compliance with NFPA 30-2000 ventilation requirements is considered a deminimus violation. (2001, August 27).
• Search all available standard interpretations.