The Answer Library

Real questions safety people actually ask, answered in plain language from official OSHA interpretation letters — with the citation and a link to the original, every time. 107 answers and growing.

Is an injury from a personal lithium-ion battery fire at work OSHA recordable?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2026-01-20 Do stairs at a 49-50 degree angle with an 8-inch run meet OSHA tread depth requirements?General · OSHA letter 2025-06-17 Can the hands-on portion of forklift operator training and evaluation be done remotely over video?Forklifts · OSHA letter 2025-04-01 Does OSHA require isolating and draining utility piping before confined space entry?Confined Spaces · OSHA letter 2025-01-03 Is paraffin wax heat treatment considered first aid or medical treatment under OSHA recordkeeping?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2024-10-22 Can a machine be re-energized during servicing when the task requires power?Lockout/Tagout · OSHA letter 2024-10-21 Is fall protection required when working 25 feet from the edge of a low slope roof?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2024-06-06 Do crane operators have to wear hard hats?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2024-06-06 Are injuries treated with first aid, ART, or exercise and stretching recordable under OSHA?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2024-05-02 When does OSHA's common cold and flu exception to recordkeeping apply?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2023-11-15 Do motorized carts and tuggers count as powered industrial trucks under OSHA?Forklifts · OSHA letter 2023-09-19 An employee took an arrow to the knee and was reassigned to desk duty. Recordable?Recordkeeping · analysis Can employers review just a sample of confined space entry permits for the annual review?Confined Spaces · OSHA letter 2023-07-24 Barrels keep rolling down the ramps at our jobsite while employees climb ladders. Which standards apply?General · analysis Can OSHA posters be stacked with other labor law posters on a wall-mounted hanger?General · OSHA letter 2023-06-15 Are injuries from an act of violence at work OSHA recordable, even if it was random and unforeseeable?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2023-05-17 Can noise-canceling headphones replace earplugs as hearing protection?Hearing & Noise · OSHA letter 2023-03-06 Is a car accident recordable when an employee is called back to work for an emergency after their normal commute?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2022-01-04 Can a supervisor's lock cover the whole crew in a group lockout/tagout?Lockout/Tagout · OSHA letter 2021-05-21 Is an employee's rescue inhaler use after a workplace exposure recordable under OSHA?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2021-03-17 Is a car accident during an employee's commute — from home or from a hotel — OSHA recordable?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2021-03-17 Is a small bottle of eyewash solution enough for bloodborne pathogen eye exposures?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2020-11-06 Is an injury during a voluntary company charity event OSHA recordable?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2020-10-05 Do facility siting study recommendations have to be on the PHA worksheet under PSM?Process Safety · OSHA letter 2020-10-02 Did OSHA waive fit testing for tight-fitting PAPRs during COVID-19?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2020-10-02 Can employees drink water outside break rooms in a plant with trace beryllium dust?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2020-09-28 Do we have to offer blood testing to an exposed employee if the source patient tests negative?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2020-08-19 Can workers use a leaf blower to blow silica dust off their clothing and PPE?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2020-08-19 An employee on break is chased by a bear into traffic and hit by a bus, and the bear boards the bus. What's recordable?Recordkeeping · analysis How often do rubber insulating gloves have to be electrically tested under OSHA 1910.137?Machines & Electrical · OSHA letter 2020-08-19 Can virtual reality or online-only training satisfy OSHA safety training requirements?General · OSHA letter 2020-08-10 Does OSHA accept NFPA 58 reduced separation distances for LPG containers near buildings?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2020-07-20 Does daily rooftop HVAC maintenance count as 'temporary and infrequent' work under OSHA?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2020-06-12 Is an industrial rope access system considered a rope descent system under OSHA 1910.27(b)?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2020-05-21 Which N95 decontamination methods did OSHA accept for reuse in healthcare?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2020-04-24 Did OSHA suspend annual N95 fit testing requirements during COVID-19 for all industries?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2020-04-08 Did OSHA allow respirators certified by other countries during the COVID-19 N95 shortage?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2020-04-03 Can employees reuse or extend use of N95 respirators, and can expired N95s be used?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2020-04-03 Is amyl nitrite still an acceptable cyanide antidote for workplace first aid under OSHA?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2020-03-31 A ghost pushed my employee off a ladder. Is that recordable, or do I cite the ghost?Recordkeeping · analysis Can healthcare employers skip annual N95 fit testing during a respirator shortage?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2020-03-14 Can lockout tags be placed at ground level instead of on elevated disconnecting means for transmission line work?Machines & Electrical · OSHA letter 2020-01-31 Our underground facility has one gear-shaped exit door only management can open, employees do radiation work in powered suits, and there may be undisclosed experiments. Compliance status?General · analysis Does sunlight count as injurious light radiation requiring eye protection under OSHA?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2019-12-30 Is the 24-foot fixed ladder fall protection requirement measured from the ground or from rest platforms?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2019-10-18 Are ZipStitch or Clozex wound closure devices first aid or medical treatment under OSHA?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2019-10-09 The same raccoon bit my employee twice — once in the breakroom on his break, and once at the company picnic. Which bites are recordable?Recordkeeping · analysis Can I discipline the forklift?Forklifts · analysis Is commercial sign installation construction work or maintenance under OSHA?General · OSHA letter 2019-10-01 What are OSHA's height requirements for stair rails and handrails?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2019-09-23 Does the 5-year PHA revalidation clock pause during an extended plant shutdown?Process Safety · OSHA letter 2019-09-20 How long do employers have to keep spirometry test records?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2019-09-18 Can you combine or shorten precautionary statements on GHS chemical labels?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2019-09-11 Can employees wear headphones on a construction site?Hearing & Noise · OSHA letter 2019-09-06 Is HAZWOPER training required for crime scene and blood cleanup crews?General · OSHA letter 2019-09-06 Do shipping boxes with blood-contaminated medical devices need OSHA biohazard labels?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2019-09-06 Is a medical evaluation required for escape-only respirators?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2019-09-04 An employee was struck by a falling drone delivering someone else's lunch. Recordable?Recordkeeping · analysis Do temporary or seasonal workers need audiometric testing under OSHA's noise standard?Hearing & Noise · OSHA letter 2019-09-04 Is an injury during an employee's lunch break OSHA recordable, or does the personal task exception apply?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2019-07-29 Which construction tasks are exempt from the OSHA silica standard?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2019-07-25 Can we ship unlabeled chemical containers between our own facilities and label them later?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2019-07-25 Do workers need respirators in a silica regulated area after silica-generating work has stopped?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2019-07-25 Does online training count for OSHA training requirements?General · OSHA letter 2019-07-11 Does PSM apply to a warehouse storing aerosol cans if the total flammable propellant exceeds 10,000 pounds?Process Safety · OSHA letter 2019-06-28 What does OSHA require for bleeding control training, tourniquets in first aid kits, and response times?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2019-06-19 How does OSHA enforce exit route width and obstruction rules for package delivery and courier facilities?General · OSHA letter 2019-06-18 Does OSHA require workers to grab the rungs of a ladder, or can they hold the side rails when climbing?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2019-06-05 Is soft tissue massage first aid under OSHA recordkeeping rules?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2019-05-23 Are large product heating furnaces confined spaces if workers just step up into them?Confined Spaces · OSHA letter 2019-05-20 Does OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard apply to universal waste like batteries, lamps, and pesticides?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2019-05-20 Does a fixed ladder section under 24 feet still need a personal fall arrest or ladder safety system if it starts high above the ground?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2019-05-17 Can we hoist multiple bundles of rebar or multiple items like gangboxes in one crane pick under OSHA rules?Cranes & Rigging · OSHA letter 2019-05-06 When two utilities share a pole, who is the host employer under OSHA Subpart V information transfer rules?Machines & Electrical · OSHA letter 2019-05-06 Can we use inhalable fraction sampling for hexavalent chromium monitoring and compare results to the OSHA PEL?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2019-04-19 How do you count calendar days away from work on the OSHA 300 log when a project ends or the employee is between assignments?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2019-04-03 Do I have to keep doing silica air monitoring every 3 months if results always come back above the PEL?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2019-03-21 Can we use audiometric testing headphones calibrated to the newer ANSI S3.6-2018 standard instead of the 1969 version OSHA cites?Hearing & Noise · OSHA letter 2019-03-21 Do OSHA recordkeeping rules apply to foreign-flag vessels and drilling units in US waters?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2019-03-06 What counts as an integrated water delivery system under Table 1 of OSHA's silica standard for construction?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2019-03-04 Do rope descent system anchorages have to be tested at the full 5,000 pounds, or is a 2,500-pound test with a safety factor OK?Fall Protection · OSHA letter 2019-01-25 How often do rubber insulating gloves need to be electrically tested under OSHA?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2019-01-25 Does OSHA's PSM standard apply to natural gas liquids production facilities, or are they covered by the oil and gas enforcement stay?Process Safety · OSHA letter 2018-12-19 Do we need full HazCom shipped-container labels to move chemicals between our own buildings?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2018-12-03 Do dissolvable laundry bags count as impermeable containers for beryllium-contaminated clothing?PPE & First Aid · OSHA letter 2018-11-29 Is cold compression therapy first aid or medical treatment for OSHA recordkeeping?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2018-11-14 Does a crane operator certification have to list lifting capacity to satisfy OSHA?Cranes & Rigging · OSHA letter 2018-11-05 Can OSHA cite an employer for chemical exposure when there is no PEL for the substance?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2018-11-02 Our excavation crew insists on digging straight down. How much trouble are we in?General · analysis Are grit- and water-based sweeping compounds acceptable for silica dust housekeeping under OSHA?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2018-11-02 An 'anomalous materials' test caused an unplanned resonance event at our research facility. Which OSHA plans should have covered this?Process Safety · analysis Can objective data or the performance option replace repeat exposure monitoring under the lead and cadmium standards?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2018-10-23 Does OSHA prohibit safety incentive programs or post-incident drug testing?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2018-10-11 Our testing facility uses automated turrets and a corrosive liquid, and the cake promised to employees never materialized. Where does OSHA stand?Machines & Electrical · analysis Can we use a CLIA-approved lab for blood lead testing since CDC no longer licenses labs?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2018-10-01 Does the SDS responsible party have to have a US address, and is the importer responsible for foreign chemicals?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2018-09-18 Is an EpiPen injection recordable under OSHA?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2018-09-13 Is an injury OSHA recordable if the employee gets a brace or splint, even with the rigid stays removed?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2018-09-13 Is a forklift considered unattended if the operator briefly looks away?Forklifts · OSHA letter 2018-09-11 Do employees exposed to 140 dB impulse noise from weapons firing need a hearing conservation program if their TWA is under 85 dBA?Hearing & Noise · OSHA letter 2018-08-13 Is using the cold-therapy-only setting on a therapeutic device first aid under OSHA recordkeeping?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2018-08-09 Did OSHA extend the HCS 2012 relabeling deadline for distributors of long shelf life agricultural chemicals?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2018-07-30 Are minimum risk pesticides, spray adjuvants, and fertilizers exempt from OSHA HazCom labeling?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2018-07-30 Can a physician perform spirometry under the OSHA silica standard without a NIOSH spirometry certificate?Respirators & Air · OSHA letter 2018-07-30 Can we use software for OSHA 300 logs, and who can see the confidential privacy concern case list?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2018-07-27 Can an SDS list physical and chemical properties for the concentrated chemical instead of the diluted mixture actually shipped?Chemicals & HazCom · OSHA letter 2018-07-24 Does posting the OSHA 'It's the Law' poster satisfy the annual employee notification requirement for exposure and medical records?Recordkeeping · OSHA letter 2018-07-16

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