OSHA INSTRUCTION

ABSTRACT

Purpose:

To provide OSHA offices, State Plan programs and federal agencies with policy and procedures concerning the enforcement of occupational safety and health standards. Also, this instruction provides current information and ensures that occupational safety and health standards are enforced with uniformity.

Scope:

OSHA-wide.

References:

See Chapter 1, Section III.

Cancellations:

See Chapter 1, Section IV.

State Impact:

Notice of Intent and Equivalence required. See Chapter 1, Section VI.

Action Offices:

National, Regional, and Area Offices.

Originating Office:

Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP).

Contact:

Director, Office of General Industry and Agricultural Enforcement
U.S. Department of Labor – OSHA
200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-3119
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-1850

By and Under the Authority of

Loren Sweatt
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Executive Summary

This instruction provides current information and guidance to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) national, regional, and area offices concerning OSHA’s policy and procedures for implementing inspections, issuing citations and proposing penalties.

Significant Changes for 2019 Update

• Updated Enforcement Follow-Up and Monitoring Inspection in Chapter 2, Section VI.H.2.b.
• Updated Inspection Preparation and Planning in Chapter 3, Section II.A.
• Updated Inspection Scope in Chapter 3, Section III.B.
• Updated Refusal to Permit Inspection and Interference in Chapter 3, Section IV.C.1.
• Updated Walkaround Representatives in Chapter 3, Section VII.A.2.
• Updated General Penalty Policy in Chapter 6, Section I.
• Updated Civil Penalties to include the “Inflation Adjustment Act” in Chapter 6, Section II.A.
• Updated Chapter 6 to replace specific inflation-adjusted penalty amounts with references to the Annual Adjustments to OSHA Civil Penalties memorandum.
• Updated Procedures for an Inspection in Chapter 9, Section I.H.5.
• Updated Fatality and Catastrophe Investigations in Chapter 11 Section II.C.2.
• Updated Federal Agency Appeals Procedures in Chapter 13, Section VIII.G.2.f and VIII.G.3.
• Updated Citable Program Elements in Chapter 13, Table 13-1.
• Updated Obtaining Warrants in Chapter 15, Section III.

Disclaimer

This manual is intended to provide instruction regarding some of the internal operations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and is solely for the benefit of the Government. No duties, rights, or benefits, substantive or procedural, are created or implied by this manual. The contents of this manual are not enforceable by any person or entity against the Department of Labor or the United States. Statements which reflect current Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission or court precedents do not necessarily indicate acquiescence to those precedents.