OSHA 30 cheat sheet

The OSH Act was signed December 29, 1970, and OSHA began operating April 28, 1971; the Act covers private-sector employers in the 50 states, DC, and territories.

General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1): each employer must furnish a workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm; it is cited when no specific standard applies.

Regulation map: 29 CFR 1910 = general industry, 29 CFR 1926 = construction, 29 CFR 1915-1918 = maritime, 29 CFR 1904 = recordkeeping.

Reporting clocks: work-related fatality within 8 hours; in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours.

Recordkeeping: OSHA 300 Log, 301 Incident Report, and 300A Annual Summary; the 300A must be posted February 1 through April 30 and injury records kept 5 years.

Inspection priority order: imminent danger, fatality/catastrophe, employee complaints and referrals, programmed inspections, then follow-ups.

Employee rights: request an inspection, participate in the walkaround, view the 300A, and be protected from retaliation; Section 11(c) discrimination complaints must be filed within 30 days.

Employers must post the citation at or near the violation, and must contest a citation within 15 working days of receipt.

Approved state plans must be at least as effective as federal OSHA and must cover state and local government employees.

Fall protection trigger: 4 feet in general industry (Subpart D); construction (1926) uses 6 feet for conventional fall hazards.

Guardrail geometry: top rail 42 inches plus or minus 3 inches above the surface, midrail at approximately 21 inches, rails able to withstand a 200-pound load.

Floor holes must be guarded by a cover or guardrail; covers must be secured, color-coded or marked "HOLE" or "COVER", and support twice the intended load.

Stairways with 4 or more risers require a stair rail system on each unprotected side or edge; handrails are mounted 30 to 38 inches above the tread nosing.

Fixed ladders extending more than 24 feet above a lower level require a ladder safety system or personal fall arrest system; cages and wells are not permitted on new ladders installed after November 19, 2018.

Portable non-self-supporting ladders: set at a 4:1 ratio (base one-quarter of working length from the wall) and extend 3 feet above the upper landing.

Housekeeping: every walking-working surface must be kept clean, orderly, and dry, with spills and debris removed promptly.

Dockboards must be secured against movement, marked with load capacity, and rated for the loads imposed.

Recognized fall protection systems: guardrail system, safety net, personal fall arrest, positioning device, ladder safety system, travel restraint, and designated area.

At least two exit routes are required where the number of employees, size, or arrangement of the workplace requires them; additional routes are required if a single route could be blocked.

Exit route dimensions: minimum 28 inches wide, ceiling at least 7 feet 6 inches high, capacity of 0.2 inch per occupant on level surfaces and 0.3 inch per occupant on stairways.

Exit signs must be visible and illuminated; any door or passageway that could be mistaken for an exit must be marked "NOT AN EXIT" or with a sign indicating its actual use.

Exit routes must be adequately lit, and emergency lighting is required where exit routes are not continuously illuminated.

Doors serving 50 or more occupants, or serving high-hazard areas, must swing in the direction of travel and cannot be locked against egress from the inside.

A written Emergency Action Plan is required unless the employer has 10 or fewer employees (then it may be communicated orally); minimum elements are reporting procedures, evacuation procedures, procedures to account for employees, and rescue/medical duties.

Fire Prevention Plan contents: list of major fire hazards, handling and storage procedures, potential ignition sources and their control, fire protection equipment, and housekeeping/maintenance responsibilities.

Portable fire extinguishers must be mounted, unobstructed, visually inspected monthly, and receive annual maintenance; travel distance to a Class A hazard extinguisher must not exceed 75 feet.

Before work, equipment must be de-energized, locked/tagged out under 1910.147, and tested to verify the absence of voltage.

Working space in front of electrical equipment rated 600 volts or less: at least 3 feet deep, 30 inches wide, and 6.5 feet high, kept clear.

Live parts operating at 50 volts or more must be guarded against accidental contact by approved enclosures, partitions, location in a room accessible only to qualified persons, or elevation at least 8 feet above the floor.

Flexible cords may not be used as a substitute for fixed wiring and may not run through walls, ceilings, floors, doorways, or be attached to building surfaces.

GFCI protection is required for temporary receptacles and wet or damp locations in general industry; construction sites require GFCI protection on all 120-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets.

Portable cord-and-plug tools must be visually inspected before use; damaged tools are removed from service, and equipment is either grounded (3-wire) or double-insulated.

Only qualified persons may work on or near exposed energized parts; minimum approach distances from Table S-5 apply, and conductive jewelry or clothing is prohibited.

Electrical PPE includes rubber insulating gloves (with test date), nonconductive hard hats, face shields, and flame-resistant clothing selected from the incident-energy hazard.

The employer must perform a hazard assessment of the workplace, select appropriate PPE, and certify the assessment in writing with the workplace evaluated and the person certifying.

The employer pays for required PPE, except non-specialty safety-toe footwear and non-specialty prescription safety eyewear that the employee is allowed to wear off the job.

PPE training covers when PPE is necessary, what PPE is required, how to don, doff, adjust, and wear it, its limitations, and care and disposal; training must be certified in writing.

Recognized consensus standards: eye and face protection ANSI Z87.1, head protection ANSI Z89.1, foot protection ASTM F-2413.

Defective or damaged PPE must not be used and must be removed from service and replaced.

A hearing conservation program (audiometric testing, hearing protection, training) is triggered at an 8-hour TWA noise exposure of 85 dBA; feasible engineering controls are required at 90 dBA.

Respirator users need a medical evaluation, annual fit testing for tight-fitting models, and training before use; fit testing cannot precede medical clearance.

Fall arrest harnesses and lanyards are inspected before each use and after any fall event, with damaged components removed from service.

Employers must maintain a written hazard communication program, a list of hazardous chemicals in the workplace, and a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical.

Container labels must include product identifier, signal word, hazard statement(s), pictogram(s), precautionary statement(s), and the name, address, and phone number of the manufacturer or supplier.

Safety data sheets have 16 sections in a fixed order; Section 2 is hazard identification and Section 4 is first-aid measures.

OSHA requires 8 of the 9 GHS pictograms; the environment pictogram is not adopted by OSHA.

Only two signal words exist: "Danger" for more severe hazards and "Warning" for less severe hazards.

Training is required at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced into the work area.

Labels on incoming containers may not be removed or defaced; secondary containers must be labeled unless the material is used immediately by the employee who transferred it within that work shift.

Employees must have unobstructed access to safety data sheets; electronic access is permitted if no barriers to access exist.

Pipes, hoses, and similar conveyances must be labeled with the product identifier and appropriate hazard information.

Stored material stacked in tiers must be stacked, blocked, or interlocked and limited in height so that it is stable and secure against sliding or collapse.

Aisles and passageways must be kept clear and in good repair, and permanent aisles must be marked; stored material may not block exits, electrical panels, or fire equipment.

Compressed gas cylinders are stored upright and secured, with valve protection caps in place; oxygen and fuel gas cylinders are separated by 20 feet or a 5-foot-high noncombustible barrier with a half-hour fire rating.

Floor load limits must be posted where applicable and never exceeded by stored materials or equipment.

Powered industrial truck operators must be trained and evaluated, re-evaluated at least every three years, and retrained after unsafe operation or an accident; trucks are inspected before each shift.

Slings, chains, and rigging hardware are inspected before use and marked with their rated capacity; damaged rigging is removed from service.

Combustible waste, scrap, and debris must be removed from work areas promptly to prevent accumulation and fire load.

Materials must be moved, stored, and disposed of so as not to create hazards from falling, rolling, shifting, or puncturing containers.

Guards must prevent contact with moving parts, be secure and tamper-resistant, create no new hazard such as a pinch point, and not interfere with normal operation or lubrication.

Machine areas requiring guarding: point of operation, power transmission apparatus, rotating and reciprocating parts, transverse moving parts, and other moving parts that could injure an operator.

Guard types include fixed, interlocked, adjustable, and self-adjusting guards, plus devices such as presence-sensing, two-hand controls, and gates.

Guard openings and distance from the point of operation follow a table relationship (Table O-10 for mechanical power presses): the larger the opening, the greater the required distance.

Abrasive wheel grinders: work rest adjusted to within 1/8 inch of the wheel, tongue guard within 1/4 inch of the wheel, and wheels ring-tested before mounting.

Lockout/tagout applies to servicing and maintenance when a guard must be removed or bypassed, or when any body part must be placed in a danger zone during normal production.

Operators and maintenance workers must be trained in safe operating procedures, guard use, and energy-control procedures for their assigned machines.

Hand-feeding tools such as push sticks are required where feasible to keep hands out of the point of operation.