OSHA 101 — a working guide for QEHS program owners

OSHA is the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a unit of the Department of Labor. It enforces the OSH Act of 1970 through federal standards (29 CFR) and — via State Plan approval — through roughly 28 state-run equivalents. Coverage is broad (private employers with one or more employees) but not universal; self-employed, immediate-family farms, and federal agencies covered by other statutes are exempt.

Section 5(a)(1) — the General Duty Clause — requires employers to furnish a workplace "free from recognized hazards." It is the catch-all citation used when no specific standard applies. If a specific standard exists (fall protection, hazard communication, lockout/tagout, etc.) OSHA will cite the standard, not the General Duty Clause.

• Specific standards — 29 CFR 1910 (general industry), 1926 (construction), 1915/1917/1918 (maritime), 1928 (agriculture).
• General Duty — applies when the hazard is recognised and a feasible abatement exists, but no specific standard covers it.
• Citation types — Other-than-serious, Serious, Willful, Repeated, Failure-to-abate. Penalties scale accordingly.

Part 1904 is the recordkeeping rule. Three forms: 300 (log of work-related injuries and illnesses), 300A (annual summary), 301 (individual incident report). Keep for 5 years plus the current year.

• Fatality — report within 8 hours (OSHA 1904.39).
• In-patient hospitalisation, amputation, loss of an eye — report within 24 hours.
• Report via 1-800-321-OSHA, the area office, or the online form. Keep the report confirmation.

• Hazard Communication (1910.1200) — SDS management, chemical inventory, GHS labels.
• Emergency Action Plan (1910.38) — if fire extinguishers are required, an EAP is required.
• Personal Protective Equipment (1910.132) — hazard assessment, PPE selection, training.
• Bloodborne Pathogens (1910.1030) — where reasonably anticipated.
• Lockout/Tagout (1910.147), Confined Spaces (1910.146), Fall Protection (1910.28).