• For emergency response and cleanup operations, see OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standards – 29 CFR 1910.120 (General Industry) and 29 CFR 1926.65 (Construction).

• Employers are responsible for complying with all applicable provisions of OSHA's respiratory protection standards, which cover the general, shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and construction industries. Visit OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standards page to learn more. The Respiratory Protection Safety and Health Topics page also provides guidance on training, enforcement, compliance, and other resources for workers and employers.

• OSHA requires employers to assess their workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Details about employer responsibilities related to PPE, including provisions for certain types of PPE, are available on OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment Safety and Health Topics page, Standards/Enforcement section, and Getting Started – PPE for Emergency Response and Recovery Workers.

• Under the OSHA Recordkeeping standard (29 CFR 1904), covered employers are required to prepare and maintain records of serious occupational injuries and illnesses, using the OSHA 300 Log. Visit OSHA's Recordkeeping page to learn more.

• Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 requires employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to workers.

• Application of OSHA's final standard for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. (July, 29, 1989).

• Interpretation of OSHA requirements for personal protective equipment to be used during marine oil spill emergency response operations. (September 11, 1995).

• OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response final rule. (July 21, 1992).

• Training requirements for emergency and post-emergency response to marine-based oil spills. (April 16, 1993).

• Training requirements of HAZWOPER for various functions. (August 20, 1991).

• Use of Personal Flotation Devices and Lifesaving Skiff. (August 23, 2004).

All HAZWOPER Standard, 29 CFR 1910.120, interpretation letters and HAZWOPER Standard, 29 CFR 1926.65, interpretation letters are available on the OSHA website.

Search all available standard interpretations.

• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response; Final Rule and Corrections. CSP 01-01-024 (1991, June 10). Describes a Federal program change to the regions and state designees.

• Inspection procedures for 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1926.65 paragraphs (q): Emergency Response to Hazardous Substance Releases. CPL 02-02-073 (August 27, 2007). Updates policies and provides clarification to ensure uniform enforcement of paragraph (q) of HAZWOPER, 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1926.65.

• Inspection Guidelines for Post-Emergency Response Operations under CFR 1910.120. CPL 02-02-051 (1990, November 5). Provides procedures for ensuring uniform enforcement of HAZWOPER training for workers involved in post-emergency response operations. (November 5, 1990).

• OSHA Authority Over Vessels and Facilities on or Adjacent to U.S. Navigable Waters and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). CPL 02-01-047 (February 22, 2010). Provides current policy, information, and guidance with respect to OSHA authority over persons working on vessels and facilities on or adjacent to U.S. navigable waters and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

• Technical enforcement and assistance guidelines for Hazardous Waste Site and RCRA Corrective Action Cleanup Operations HAZWOPER 1910.120(b)-(o). CPL 02-02-071 (November 5, 2003). Provides guidance to ensure the effective management of locally conducted occupational safety and health training for OSHA agency workers.

Search all available directives.

• Chemical Reactivity Hazards

• Dermal Exposure (Spanish)

• Emergency Preparedness and Response

  • Getting Started – General Business Preparedness

  • Getting Started – Evacuation & Shelter-in-Place

  • Getting Started – OSHA's Role in Emergency Response

  • Getting Started – PPE for Emergency Response and Recovery Workers

• Fall Protection

• Hazardous Waste

• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER)

• Occupational Heat Exposure (Spanish)

• Occupational Noise Exposure

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Recordkeeping

• Respiratory Protection

Oil Spills

• Oil Spill Cleanup: Safety and Health Awareness for Oil Spill Cleanup Workers (Spanish / Vietnamese). (OSHA/NIEHS). Worker Education and Training Program (2010).

• Training Marine Oil Spill Response Workers under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard. Publication 3172 (2001). Describes the training for marine oil spill response employees required under HAZWOPER, the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard (29 CFR 1910.120).

General

• 29 CFR 1910.120 Appendix E/29 CFR 1926.65 Appendix E. Non-mandatory guidance for general industry to assist employers in developing a site-specific training curriculum to meet HAZWOPER requirements.

• All About OSHA. Publication 3302-06N (2006).

• Best Practices for Hospital-Based First Receivers of Victims from Mass Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous Substances. Publication 3249 (2005). This document offers useful information to help hospitals create emergency plans based on worst-case scenarios. It focuses on suggestions for appropriate training and suitable personal protective equipment for healthcare workers who may be exposed to hazardous substances when they treat victims of mass casualties. The document includes appendices with practical examples of decontamination procedures and medical monitoring for first receivers who respond to a mass casualty incident.

• Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Escape Respirators. Safety and Health Information Bulletin 03-08-29.

• Deck Barge Safety. Publication 3358-01N (2009).

• Emergency Action Plans: How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations. Publication 3088 (2001).

• Emergency Management: Planning & Responding to Workplace Emergencies. Fact Sheet (2004).

• Training Requirements in OSHA Standards. Publication 2254 (2015).

• Extended/Unusual Work Shifts Safety and Health Guide.

• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. Publication 3114-07R (2008).

• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. Fact Sheet.

• Hearing Conservation. Publication 3074 (2002).

• Job Hazard Analysis Guide. Publication 3071 (2002).

• OSHA at A Glance. Publication 3439-B-12R (2014).

• Personal Protective Equipment Fact Sheet (Portuguese / Spanish). (2006)/(2010).

• Principal Emergency Response and Preparedness: Requirements and Guidelines. Publication 3122 (2004).

• Procedures for Atmospheric Testing in Confined Spaces. Fact Sheet (2005).

• Using Portable Generators Safely. Fact Sheet (2005).

Heat Stress

• OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Training Guide (Spanish). Publication 3437-04N (2011).

• Heat Safety Smartphone Tool. Enables employers and workers to check the heat index for their worksites and see reminders about the protective measures specific for the risk level.

• Heat Stress Guide. Provides emergency preparedness and response heat stress guidance.

• Heat Illness Prevention Campaign (Spanish).

• Using the Heat Index: A Guide for Employers, About Work/Rest Schedules.

Cold Stress

• Cold Stress Guide.

• Protecting Workers from Cold Stress, Quick Card™ (Spanish) (2014).

• Tips to Protect Workers in Cold Environments.

• Winter Weather (Spanish).

Slips, Trips, and Falls

• Fall Prevention Campaign. (2016).

• Fall Prevention: Training Guide - A Lesson Plan for Employers (Spanish). Publication 3666-04 (2014).

• OSHA's Final Rule to Update, Align, and Provide Greater Flexibility in its General Industry Walking-Working Surfaces and Fall Protection Standards. Fact Sheet 3903 (2016).

• Fall Prevention Wallet Card (Portuguese) (2012)/(2014).

• Preventing Falls, Fact Sheet.

• Protecting Workers from Slips, Trips and Falls during Disaster Response, Quick Card™ (2017).

PPE and Respiratory Protection

• Personal Protective Equipment. Fact Sheet (2006).

• Personal Protective Equipment Publication. Publication 3151 (2023).

• Respirators (Portuguese / Spanish). QuickCard™ (2005).

Snakes, Insects, and Rodents

• Avian Flu (Spanish). Fact Sheet (2006).

• Avian Flu General Precautions (Spanish). QuickCard™ (2006).

• Avian Flu: Protecting Employees from Avian Flu (Spanish), Publication 3323-10N (2006).

• Black Widow Spider (Spanish). Fact Sheet (2005).

• Brown Recluse Spider (Spanish). Fact Sheet (2005).

• Fire Ant (Spanish) 2005)/(2010)

• Lyme Disease Facts.

• Potential for Occupational Exposure to Lyme Disease. Safety and Health Bulletin (2003).

• Rodent, Snakes and Insect (Spanish). QuickCard™ (2006).

• West Nile Virus (Spanish). QuickCard™ (2012).

• Zika Virus: Interim Guidance for Protecting Workers from Occupational Exposure to Zika Virus (Spanish). Fact Sheet 3855 (2016).

• Fact Sheet Zika Virus Protection for Outdoor Workers (Spanish). QuickCard™ (2016).

Skin Exposure

• Basics of Skin Exposure. OSHA Technical Manual (OTM), Section II, Chapter 2 (updated 2014).

Hazardous Chemicals

• Carbon Monoxide Chemical Sampling Information

• Carbon Monoxide. Fact Sheet (2002).

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (Spanish). Quick Card™ (2005).

Ergonomic Hazards

• Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders - Guidelines for Shipyards. Publication number 3341 (2008).

Fatigue & Stress

• Critical Incident Stress Guide. Safety and Health Guide.

• Extended/Unusual Work Shifts Guide. Safety and Health Guide.

Severe Weather

• Lightning Safety when Working Outdoors (OSHA/NOAA). Fact Sheet (2016).

Anti-Retaliation and Whistleblower Information

• OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program (Spanish).

• Filing Whistleblower Complaints under Section 11(c) the OSH Act of 1970 (Spanish).

• Whistleblower Protections and the Environment (Spanish).

• Filing Whistleblower Complaints under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Spanish).

• Filing Whistleblower Complaints under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act Fact Sheet (Spanish).

• Filing Whistleblower Complaints under the Toxic Substances Control Act Fact Sheet (Spanish).

• Filing Whistleblower Complaints under the Solid Waste Disposal Act Fact Sheet (Spanish).

• Filing Whistleblower Complaints under the Safe Drinking Water (Spanish).

• Memorandum of Understanding Between the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Enforcement/Spanish. (February 13, 1991). Memorandum of Understanding between USCG and OSHA Concerning Occupational Safety and Health on the Outer Continental Shelf. Establishes procedures to increase consultation and coordination between the agencies with respect to matters affecting the occupational safety and health of personnel working on the Outer Continental Shelf of the U.S. Specifies OSHA will cooperate with the USCG to maximize the safety and health protection of employees, avoid duplication of effort, and avoid undue burdens on the maritime industry.

• Memorandum of Understanding between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor and the Federal on Scene Coordinator, Department of Homeland Security Concerning Occupational Safety and Health Issues Related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response/Spanish. (June 10, 2010). Establishes procedures for consultation and coordination between the Federal on Scene Coordinator (FOSC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with respect to matters affecting the occupational safety and health of workers involved in the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (the "oil spill").

• Occupational Safety & Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Site Activities (PDF). (October, 1985). Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); U.S. Coast Guard; and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This document provides guidance for managers responsible for occupational safety and health programs at inactive hazardous waste sites.

• Safety and Health Awareness for Oil Spill Cleanup Workers. (June, 2010). National Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Training tools for employers and workers who will participate in an oil spill response and cleanup operation to ensure workers receive appropriate training and PPE.

• OSHA's Principal Emergency Response and Preparedness Requirements and Guidance provides a generic, non-exhaustive overview of OSHA standards for emergencies.

• OSHA's Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool provides guidance to help employers develop effective evacuation plans that increase the likelihood that workers will reach shelter safely in the event of an emergency.

• OSHA's Eye and Face Protection eTool provides compliance assistance information to employers and workers, helps implement requirements for a hazard assessment, and aids in the selection of eye and face protective equipment.

• Respiratory Protection eTool provides instruction on the proper selection of respiratory protection and the development of change schedules for gas/vapor cartridges as well as helps employers comply with the OSHA respirator standard.

OSHA's On-site Consultation Program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. On-site Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing injury and illness prevention programs. To locate the OSHA On-site Consultation Program nearest you, call 1-800-321-6742 (OSHA) or visit the small business web page.