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 R, Special industries
  • 1910.262, Textiles
• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1000, Air contaminants
    • Table Z-1, Limits for air contaminants
  • 1910.1043, Cotton dust [related topic page]
    • Appendix A, Air sampling and analytical procedures for determining concentrations of cotton dust
    • Appendix B-I, Respiratory questionnaire
    • Appendix B-III, Abbreviated respiratory questionnaire
    • Appendix C, Spirometry prediction tables for normal males and females
    • Appendix D, Pulmonary function standards for cotton dust standard
    • Appendix E, Vertical elutriator equivalency protocol
  • 1910.1045, Acrylonitrile 
    • Appendix B, Substance technical guidelines for acrylonitrile
  • 1910.1048, Formaldehyde [related topic page]
  • 1910.1052, Methylene chloride [related topic page]

• Air Contaminants (1996)
  • VII. Feasibility and Regulatory Analyses
• Search all available preambles to final rules.

• Occupational Exposure to Cotton Dust. Final Rules 65:76563-76567, (2000, December 7). OSHA issued a direct final rule amending its occupational health standard for Cotton Dust, which was issued in 1978 and amended in 1985, to add cotton washed in a batch kier system to the types of washed cotton partially exempt from the cotton dust standard.
• Search all available Federal Registers.

• Cotton Dust Manual. CPL 02-02-031 [CPL 2-2.31], (1981, January 16).
• Benzidine – Based Dyes: Direct Black 38, Direct Brown 95 and Direct Blue 6 Dyes. CPL 02-02-027 [CPL 2-2.27], (1980, February 22).
• Application 1910.212(a)(1) to Sewing Machines in the Light Apparel Manufacturing Industries. STD 01-12-019 [STD 1-12.19], (1978, October 30).
• Search all available directives.

• Requirements for guarding points of operation and belts on heavy duty sewing machines. (1991, July 9).
• Regulations for cotton waste operations. (1991, May 10).
• Sample numbers and measurement duration for compliance to the cotton dust standard for a weaving operation. (1986, November 3).
• Tufting of undyed and unwashed cotton not covered in the scope of the revised standard of December 13, 1985. (1986, June 4).
• The cotton dust standard applies to the elastic fabric industry. (1986, April 16).
• National Policy on Guarding Roving Frames. (1981, February 13).
• Search all available standard interpretations.