 Compliance Assistance Quick Start: General Industry
Follow the steps below to identify the major OSHA general industry requirements and
guidance materials that may apply to your workplace. These steps will lead you to resources on OSHA's
website that will help you comply with OSHA requirements and prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
For more information, see the
General Industry Quick Start Library. This includes a collection of forms,
resources, publications, and sample programs that are incorporated into
the Quick Start steps, plus additional compliance assistance resources.
You can use this collection as a reference after completing the steps.
NOTE: If you have Spanish-speaking employees, visit
OSHA's
Compliance Assistance: Hispanic Employers and Workers page and
OSHA en Español.
If you employ teen or young workers, visit
OSHA’s Teen Workers page.
Step 1: OSHA Requirements
That Apply to Most General Industry Employers
The following are selected OSHA requirements that apply to
many general industry employers.
- Hazard Communication Standard. This
standard is designed to ensure that employers and employees know about
hazardous chemicals in the workplace and how to protect themselves. Employers
with employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals in the
workplace must prepare and implement a written Hazard Communication
Program and comply with other requirements of the standard.
- Emergency Action Plan Standard. OSHA
recommends that all employers have an Emergency Action Plan. A plan is mandatory
when required by an OSHA standard. An Emergency Action Plan describes the
actions employees should take to ensure their safety in a fire or other
emergency situation.
- Fire Safety. OSHA recommends that all
employers have a Fire Prevention Plan. A plan is mandatory when required by an
OSHA standard.
- Exit Routes. All employers must comply with OSHA's requirements for exit
routes in the workplace.
- Walking/Working Surfaces. Floors,
aisles, platforms, ladders, stairways, and other walking/working
surfaces are present, to some extent, in all general industry
workplaces. Slips, trips, and falls
from these surfaces constitute the majority of general industry
accidents. The OSHA standards for walking and working surfaces apply to all permanent
places of employment, except where only domestic, mining, or
agricultural work is performed.
- Medical and First Aid. OSHA requires employers
to provide medical and first-aid personnel and supplies commensurate
with the hazards of the workplace. The details of a workplace medical
and first-aid program are dependent on the circumstances of each
workplace and employer.
NOTE:
To find the OSHA standards that are most frequently cited by OSHA
inspectors, visit Frequently Cited OSHA Standards.
On that Web page, you can
find the most frequently cited federal or state OSHA standards based on your
industry’s Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code and the number of
employees in your establishment.
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Step 2: OSHA Requirements That May Apply to Your Workplace
In addition to the OSHA requirements covered in Steps 1, a
number of other OSHA standards may apply to your workplace. The
following checklist can help you identify other key OSHA standards that
may apply and point you to information to help you comply with those
standards.
-
If you have employees who operate machinery
(e.g., saws, slicers, shears, slitters, power presses, etc.), you may be
subject to OSHA’s Machine Guarding requirements.
- If your employees service or maintain machines or equipment that could start up unexpectedly or release hazardous energy,
you may be subject to OSHA's Lockout/Tagout requirements.
- Electrical hazards, such as wiring deficiencies, are one of the
hazards most frequently cited by OSHA. OSHA's electrical standards include
design requirements for electrical systems and safety-related work practices.
- Employers must perform an assessment of each operation
in their workplace to determine if their employees are required to wear personal
protective equipment (PPE). Note that engineering controls and work practices
are the preferred methods for protecting employees ―
OSHA generally considers PPE to be the least desirable means of controlling
employee exposure.
- If necessary to protect the health of your employees, you must
provide appropriate respirators. You must establish a Respiratory
Protection program that meets the requirements of OSHA’s Respiratory
Protection standard.
-
Employers whose employees are exposed to excessive noise (e.g., conditions that
make normal conversation
difficult) may be required to implement a Hearing Conservation program.
-
Employers should evaluate their workplaces for the presence of confined spaces.
- If employees may be exposed to blood or bodily fluids as part of their
assigned duties, you may be subject to OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens
standard.
-
If your employees operate Powered Industrial Trucks (i.e., forklifts), you may
be subject to OSHA’s Powered Industrial
Trucks standard.
This list is not comprehensive
– additional OSHA standards may apply to your workplace. Be sure to review
OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR 1910) for other requirements. In
addition, section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, known as the
General Duty Clause, requires employers to provide their employees with a
workplace that is free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious
physical harm.
-
You may review and print FREE copies of OSHA’s general
industry standards from OSHA’s Web site (29 CFR 1910).
-
You may also order bound volumes of the standards from the
Government Printing Office (GPO) at (202) 512-1800 or from
GPO's website. To
get the complete set of general industry standards from GPO, you will need to
order the following two volumes: (1) Title 29, Parts 1900 to 1910 (section
1910.1 to 1910.999) and (2) Title 29, Part 1910 (sections 1910.1000 to end).
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Step 3: Survey Your Workplace for Additional Hazards
Survey your workplace for additional hazards and OSHA requirements by:
- Using a checklist. See the Self-Inspection Checklists in OSHA’s
Small Business Handbook. OSHA
Publication 2209 (2005). Also available as a 264 KB
PDF.
- Using an online tool.
OSHA eTool: OSHA Hazard Awareness Advisor. This tool
can help you identify and understand common safety and health hazards in your
workplace. It will ask you about activities, practices, material, equipment, and
policies at your workplace. The Hazard Awareness Advisor uses your answers to
determine the hazards that are likely to be present. It then prepares a
customized report that briefly describes the likely hazards and the OSHA
standards that address those hazards.
- Reviewing OSHA’s
Safety and Health Information Bulletins
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Step 4: Develop a
Comprehensive Jobsite Safety and Health Program
While OSHA does not require employers to develop comprehensive safety and health programs, development and
implementation of these programs is an effective way to comply with OSHA
standards and prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
The information you've obtained from the steps above is a good start for developing a comprehensive safety and health
program.
For help in developing a program:
Learn how a safety and health program can add value to your organization:
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Step 5: Train Your Employees
Learn about resources available from OSHA for training employers and
employees by:
NOTE:
A number of OSHA standards include employee training requirements. For a listing of these
requirements, see
Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training Guidelines (OSHA
Publication 2254). This publication also includes voluntary training
guidelines that employers can use to help design, conduct, evaluate, and
revise their safety and health training programs. Also available as a 724 KB
PDF.
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Step 6: Recordkeeping, Reporting and Posting
- Recordkeeping. OSHA requires certain employers to keep records of
workplace injuries and illnesses (29
CFR 1904).
- First determine if you are exempt from the routine recordkeeping
requirements. You are not required to keep OSHA injury and
illness records (unless asked to do so in writing by
OSHA or the Bureau of Labor Statistics) if:
1) you had 10 or fewer employees during all of the last calendar year (29
CFR 1904.1);
or
2) you are in certain low-hazard retail, service, finance,
insurance, or real estate industries (29
CFR Part 1904, Subpart B, Appendix A).
- If you do not qualify for these exemptions, you must comply with OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements.
- Reporting. OSHA requires all employers, regardless of size or
industry, to report the work-related death of any employee or hospitalizations of three
or more employees. Read about OSHA's reporting requirements
(29
CFR 1904.39).
- OSHA Poster. All employers must post the OSHA Poster
(or state plan equivalent) in a prominent location
in the workplace. Download or order the OSHA Poster in
English or
Spanish.
- Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records. An OSHA standard (29
CFR 1910.1020) requires employers to provide employees, their designated
representatives, and OSHA with access to employee exposure and medical records.
Employers generally must maintain employee exposure records for 30 years and medical
records for the duration of the employee's employment plus 30 years.
NOTE: If your workplace is in a state operating an
OSHA-approved state
program, state plan recordkeeping regulations, although substantially
identical to federal ones, may have some more stringent or supplemental
requirements, such as for reporting of fatalities and catastrophes. Contact your state program directly for
additional information.
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Step 7: Find Additional Compliance Assistance Information
-
Where can I find a collection of OSHA resources designed for smaller employers?
-
Do you have Spanish-speaking employees?
-
Do you employ teen or young workers?
-
Are you concerned that your employees could suffer musculoskeletal disorders at the workplace?
-
Has OSHA developed any compliance assistance information targeted for my specific industry?
-
How do I find out about OSHA's voluntary programs and other ways to work cooperatively with OSHA?
-
How can I keep up to date on OSHA’s compliance assistance
resources?
- What if I still have questions?
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General Industry Quick Start Library
This
General
Industry Quick Start Library includes a collection of forms, publications,
resources, and sample programs from the Quick Start steps, plus
additional compliance assistance resources. You can use this collection as a
reference after completing the steps.
Laws and Regulations
Forms
Posters
Publications
Newsletters
- QuickTakes. OSHA’s
twice monthly electronic newsletter.
Cards
Fact Sheets
Booklets
Other Publications and Guidelines
Web Pages
Electronic Compliance Assistance Tools: eTools
and Expert Advisors
Sample Programs
The following sample programs provide examples of written programs on workplace safety and health topics. They are provided for illustrative purposes only. These sample programs do not supersede the requirements in OSHA standards. Employers should consult the applicable OSHA standards for the specific requirements applicable to their workplaces when developing their own customized programs.
The sample programs from State Consultation Programs may contain local contact information. Employers are encouraged to contact their own
State Consultation Program for help in developing customized programs.
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