29 CFR 1910 — General Industry
29 CFR Part 1910 is the body of OSHA standards that applies to general industry — which in practice means most workplaces that are not construction, agriculture, or maritime. It is large, detailed, and organised into lettered subparts.
This page covers the standards most organisations encounter. It is not a complete index of Part 1910, and it is not legal advice.
Which part applies to you
Section titled “Which part applies to you”| Part | Industry |
|---|---|
| 1910 | General industry — offices, manufacturing, warehousing, healthcare, retail, hospitality |
| 1926 | Construction |
| 1928 | Agriculture |
| 1915 / 1917 / 1918 | Shipyard employment / marine terminals / longshoring |
Some employers fall under more than one. A manufacturer that also carries out construction work on its own premises is subject to 1926 for that work.
The standards most workplaces meet
Section titled “The standards most workplaces meet”Hazard Communication — 1910.1200
Section titled “Hazard Communication — 1910.1200”Often the single most-cited standard. If any hazardous chemical is present in your workplace — including cleaning products — you must have:
- A written hazard communication programme
- An inventory of hazardous chemicals present
- Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) readily accessible to workers on every shift
- Labels on containers, following the GHS format (pictogram, signal word, hazard statement)
- Training for workers before initial assignment and whenever a new hazard is introduced
Store the written programme and your SDS collection in Documents, and track the training through Training Courses and Enrollments.
Personal Protective Equipment — 1910.132 to 1910.138
Section titled “Personal Protective Equipment — 1910.132 to 1910.138”The PPE subpart requires more than issuing equipment. 1910.132(d) requires a written hazard assessment: you must assess the workplace to determine whether hazards are present that require PPE, select appropriate PPE, and certify that assessment in writing — identifying the workplace evaluated, the person certifying, and the date.
Employers must also pay for most required PPE (1910.132(h)), with narrow exceptions such as everyday steel-toed boots and prescription safety eyewear that workers take home.
The specific standards beneath cover eye and face protection (1910.133), head (1910.135), foot (1910.136), hand (1910.138), and respiratory protection (1910.134 — which brings its own written programme, medical evaluation, and fit-testing requirements).
SteadyOn: the Hazards module is the hazard assessment. Recording each hazard with its assessed risk and the PPE control satisfies the documentation element; use the Documents module for the signed certification.
Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — 1910.147
Section titled “Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — 1910.147”Applies wherever servicing or maintenance could expose someone to unexpected energisation or start-up. Requires written energy control procedures, worker training, and periodic inspection of the procedures at least annually.
That annual inspection is a natural fit for an Inspection template with a recurring schedule.
Walking-Working Surfaces — 1910.21 to 1910.30 (Subpart D)
Section titled “Walking-Working Surfaces — 1910.21 to 1910.30 (Subpart D)”Covers floors, aisles, stairs, ladders, dockboards, and fall protection in general industry. Fall protection is generally required at 4 feet in general industry (as against 6 feet in construction). Includes duties to inspect walking-working surfaces regularly and to train workers who use fall-protection systems.
Permit-Required Confined Spaces — 1910.146
Section titled “Permit-Required Confined Spaces — 1910.146”Where a confined space has a hazardous atmosphere, engulfment risk, an internal configuration that could trap someone, or any other serious hazard, it is a permit-required space. Requires a written programme, entry permits, atmospheric testing, an attendant, and rescue arrangements.
Machine Guarding — 1910.211 to 1910.219 (Subpart O)
Section titled “Machine Guarding — 1910.211 to 1910.219 (Subpart O)”Requires guarding of points of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, and anything that could throw chips or sparks. A common source of serious-injury citations.
Electrical — 1910.301 to 1910.399 (Subpart S)
Section titled “Electrical — 1910.301 to 1910.399 (Subpart S)”Design and safety-related work practices for electrical systems, including the requirement that only qualified persons work on energised parts.
Emergency Action and Fire Prevention — 1910.38, 1910.39
Section titled “Emergency Action and Fire Prevention — 1910.38, 1910.39”See Emergency Action Plans and Fire Prevention.
Medical Services and First Aid — 1910.151
Section titled “Medical Services and First Aid — 1910.151”See First Aid and Medical Services.
Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records — 1910.1020
Section titled “Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records — 1910.1020”See US Privacy and Employee Records.
Standards that require a written programme
Section titled “Standards that require a written programme”A recurring theme in Part 1910 is that a standard requires you to write something down. Missing written programmes are among the easiest findings for an inspector. The most common:
| Standard | Written requirement |
|---|---|
| 1910.1200 | Hazard communication programme |
| 1910.132(d) | Certified PPE hazard assessment |
| 1910.134 | Respiratory protection programme |
| 1910.147 | Energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures |
| 1910.146 | Permit-required confined space programme |
| 1910.38 | Emergency action plan (written if you have 11+ employees) |
| 1910.39 | Fire prevention plan (same threshold) |
| 1910.1030 | Bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan |
| 1910.95 | Hearing conservation programme (where noise exceeds the action level) |
Several also require annual review or retraining, which is where a recurring inspection or a training course with an expiry date does the work for you.
A note on permissible exposure limits
Section titled “A note on permissible exposure limits”OSHA’s permissible exposure limits (PELs) in 1910.1000 are, in many cases, decades old. NIOSH recommended exposure limits (RELs) and the ACGIH threshold limit values are frequently stricter and reflect more current science.
Meeting the PEL is the legal minimum. Where a NIOSH REL is significantly lower, an inspector may still consider the hazard “recognised” for General Duty Clause purposes.
How SteadyOn helps
Section titled “How SteadyOn helps”| Requirement | SteadyOn module |
|---|---|
| Hazard identification and assessment (incl. 1910.132(d)) | Hazards |
| Documented controls | Hazards — Control measures |
| Written programmes, SDSs, procedures | Documents |
| Annual procedure inspections (e.g. 1910.147) | Inspections — recurring templates |
| Machine, electrical, and housekeeping self-audits | Inspections |
| Training and retraining records with expiry | Training Courses + Enrollments |
| Assigning and tracking corrective work | Actions |
| Emergency action plans and drills | Emergency Plans |
| Evidence trail for an inspection | The Log page + per-entity Log tab |
Where to go next
Section titled “Where to go next”- OSH Act of 1970 — the General Duty Clause, which fills the gaps these standards leave
- OSHA Recordkeeping — what happens after an injury
- State Plans and Cal/OSHA — state standards that go further than these