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Textiles

Textile industries involve diverse operations including fiber synthesis, weaving, manufacturing, dyeing and finishing. One of the oldest industries, textile operations have been studied extensively and many workplace standards exist.

There are numerous health and safety issues associated with the textile industry. They include: chemical exposure from the processing and dyeing of materials, exposure to cotton and other organic dusts, musculoskeletal stresses, and noise exposure.

Textiles are addressed in specific standards for the general industry.

OSHA Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, Federal Registers (rules, proposed rules, and notices), directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to textiles.

Note: Twenty-five 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.

Frequently Cited Standards

A listing of the most frequently cited standards by Federal OSHA for Textile Mill Products Industry Group (SIC code 22) is available.

Other Highlighted Standards

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

Federal Registers

  • 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.

Directives

Standard Interpretations

Hazard Recognition

Dye Hazards

Ergonomics

Other

  • A Recommended Standard for Occupational Exposure to Acrylonitrile. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 78-116, (1978, January).
    • Acrylonitrile. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Current Intelligence Bulletin No. 18, (1977, July 1).

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

Other Resources

  • Profile of the Textiles Industry [5 MB PDF, 146 pages]. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sector Notebook Publication No. EPA/310-R-97-009, (1997, September). Detailed information on various topics including industrial process description, comprehensive environmental profile, innovative control programs, contacts, and list of bibliographic references.

  • The Way to Safety and Health for Textile Finishing Workers. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 77-208.

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