Oil and Gas Extraction
Standards
The following sections highlight OSHA standards, directives (instruction to OSHA staff), letters of interpretation (official letters of interpretation and national consensus standards that pertain to the oil and gas extraction industry. State and other federal standards are also highlighted, and links to industry organizations are provided.
The General Duty Clause of the OSH Act (the law that created OSHA) requires employers to provide workers with a safe workplace that does not have any recognized hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious injury. Exposures to hazards present in the oil and gas well drilling, servicing, and storage industry are addressed in specific standards for general industry.
As mentioned in the letter of interpretation, Applicability of 29 CFR 1926 to oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations, (April 27, 2009), site preparation is the only aspect of oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations covered by 29 CFR 1926. Site preparation includes activities such as leveling the site, trenching, and excavation. All other aspects of oil and gas well drilling and servicing operations are covered by 29 CFR 1910; when a serious hazard exists in the workplace that is not addressed by a specific OSHA standard, Section 5(a)(l) ("General Duty Clause") of the OSH Act applies.
OSHA Standards
Frequently Cited Standards
OSHA maintains a listing of the most frequently cited standards for specified 2 to 6-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. Please refer to OSHA's Frequently Cited OSHA Standards page for additional information. For oil and gas industry use NAICS code 21 in the NAICS search box.
- Oil and Gas Field Services Industry Group (NAICS Code 213111)
- Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas (NAICS Code 211111)
- Drilling Oil and Gas Wells (NAICS Code 213111)
- Oil and Gas Field Exploration Services (NAICS Code 213112)
- Oil and Gas Field Services, Not Elsewhere Classified (NAICS Code 213112)
Other Highlighted Standards
General Industry (29 CFR 1910) |
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1910 Subpart D - Walking-Working Surfaces | ||
1910.22, General requirements. |
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1910.25, Stairways. |
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1910.27, Scaffolds and rope descent systems. |
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1910.28, Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection. |
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1910 Subpart E - Exit Routes and Emergency Planning | ||
1910 Subpart E App, Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, and Fire Prevention Plans. |
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1910.36, Design and construction requirements for exit routes. |
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1910.37, Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes. |
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1910 Subpart F - Powered Platforms, Manlifts, and Vehicle-Mounted Work Platforms | ||
1910.66, Powered platforms for building maintenance. See Appendix C for information related to personal fall arrest system (section I-mandatory; sections II and III-non-mandatory). |
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1910 Subpart G - Occupational Health and Environmental Control | ||
1910.95, Occupational noise exposure. |
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1910 Subpart J - General Environmental Controls | ||
1910.141, Sanitation. |
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1910.145, Specifications for accident prevention signs and tags. |
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1910.146, Permit-required confined spaces. |
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1910.147, The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout). See Appendix A. for information related to typical minimal lockout procedures. |
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1910.151, Medical services and first aid. |
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1910 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment | ||
1910.132, General requirements. |
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1910.133, Eye and face protection. |
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1910.134, Respiratory protection. |
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1910.135, Head protection. |
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1910.136, Foot protection. |
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1910 Subpart H - Hazardous Materials | ||
1910.106, Flammable liquids. |
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1910.110, Storage and handling of liquefied petroleum gases. |
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1910.120, Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. |
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1910 Subpart Z - Toxic and Hazardous Substances | ||
1910.1000, Air contaminants. |
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1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens. |
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1910.1200, Hazard Communication. |
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1910 Subpart N - Materials Handling and Storage | ||
1910.176, Handling materials - general. |
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1910.178, Powered Industrial Trucks |
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1910.184, Slings. |
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1910 Subpart L - Fire Protection | ||
1910.157, Portable fire extinguishers. |
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1910.165, Employee alarm systems. |
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1910 Subpart Q - Welding, Cutting and Brazing | ||
1910.252, General requirements. |
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1910.253, Oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting. |
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1910 Subpart O - Machinery and Machine Guarding | ||
1910.212, General requirements for all machines. |
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1910.215, Abrasive wheel machinery. |
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1910.219, Mechanical power-transmission apparatus. |
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1910 Subpart P - Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment | ||
1910.242, Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general. |
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1910 Subpart S - Electrical | ||
1910.303, General. |
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1910.304, Wiring design and protection. |
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1910.305, Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use. |
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1910.307, Hazardous (classified) locations. |
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1910.332, Training. |
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1910.333, Selection and use of work practices. |
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1910.334, Use of equipment. |
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1910.335, Safeguards for personnel protection. |
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Construction (29 CFR 1926) |
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1926 Subpart J - Welding and Cutting | ||
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1926 Subpart K - Electrical | ||
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1926 Subpart L - Scaffolds | ||
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1926 Subpart P - Excavations | ||
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1926 Subpart CC - Cranes and Derricks in Construction | ||
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State Plan Standards
There are 29 OSHA-approved State Plans operating state-wide occupational safety and health programs. State Plans are required to have standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as OSHA's and may have different or more stringent requirements.
Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.
California
- Title 8; Chapter 4, Division of Industrial Safety
- Subchapter 14: Petroleum Safety Orders-Drilling and Production
Alaska
- State Statutes and Regulations Related to Oil and Gas: Department of Administration, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Texas
- Title 16; Economic Regulation; Part 1, Railroad Commission of Texas
- Chapter 3: Oil and Gas Division
Utah
- Rule R614-2 Drilling Industry
- Title R649 Natural Resources; Oil, Gas and Mining; Oil and Gas
Wyoming
Additional Directives
Note: The directives in this list provide additional information that is not necessarily connected to a specific OSHA standard highlighted on this Safety and Health Topics page.
- PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program. CPL 03-00-021, (January 17, 2017).
- 29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I, Enforcement Guidance for Personal Protective Equipment in General Industry. CPL 02-01-050, (February 10, 2011).
- OSHA Technical Manual (OTM). TED 01-00-015, (January 20, 1999).
Additional Letters of Interpretation
Note: The letters in this list provide additional information that is not necessarily connected to a specific OSHA standard highlighted on this Safety and Health Topics page.
- Flame-resistant and flame-retardant treated clothing for oil and gas well drilling, servicing, and production-related operations (March 31, 2011).
- Clarification of term "Active Hydrocarbon Zone" as it relates to the oil and gas well drilling operations; and the need to use FRC when performing drilling operations (October 19, 2010).
- Enforcement Policy for Flame-Resistant Clothing in Oil and Gas Drilling, Well Servicing, and Production-Related Operations (March 19, 2010).
- Applicability of 29 CFR 1926 to oil and gas well driling and servicing operations (April 27, 2009).
- Pressure vessels used at oil and gas extraction/production facilities and applicability of 29 CFR 1910.106 (July 17, 2006).
- HHC's as it applies to employer obligation to obtain and evaluate information regarding the contract employer's safety performance and programs (June 29, 1994).
- Respiratory protection as it relates to oil fields (April 14, 1993).
Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)
- 10 CFR 39 Licenses and Radiation Safety Requirements for Well Logging
Research and Special Programs Administration
General
- 49 CFR 171 General Information, Regulations, and Definitions
- 49 CFR 172 Hazardous Materials Table, Special Provisions, Hazardous Materials Communications, Emergency Response Information, Training Requirements and Security Plans
- 49 CFR 173 Shippers-General Requirements for Shipments and Packagings
- 49 CFR 177 Carriage by Public Highway
- 49 CFR 178 Specifications for Packagings
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Fire and Explosion
- 27 CFR 555, Commerce in Explosives
Note: These are NOT OSHA regulations. However, they do provide guidance from their originating organizations related to worker protection.
American National Standards Institute/American Society of Safety Engineers
- Z41 Personal Protection-Protective Footwear
- Z49.1 Safety in Welding and Cutting and Allied Processes
- Z87.1 Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection
- Z88.2 Respiratory Protection
- Z89.1 Requirements for Industrial Head Protection
- Z117.1 Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces
- Z359.1 Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems and Components
National Fire Protection Association
- NFPA 1 Fire Code
- NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers
- NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
- NFPA 37 Standard for the Installation and Use of Stationary Combustion Engines and Gas Turbines
- NFPA 70 National Electrical Code®
- NFPA 101 Life Safety Code®
- NFPA 326 Standard for Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry, Cleaning, or Repair
- NFPA 400 Hazardous Materials Code
- NFPA 2112 Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire
- NFPA 2113 Standard on Selection, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire