Guidance Search
The Department of Labor provides this guidance search tool as a single, searchable location where users may search for guidance issued by any of the Department’s agencies, including significant guidance documents under Executive Order 12866. Individual guidance documents are maintained on the various agency websites, and if you know what agency you are looking for, you may also find guidance by navigating directly to that agency’s website. The Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Register, which are not maintained by the Department, also include some of the Department’s interpretations of law and similar material.
The Department and its agencies issue guidance to provide clarifying information and technical assistance to the public on existing statutory and regulatory rights and obligations, inform the regulated community about best practices, and provide other useful information. The contents of these documents do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way, except as authorized by law or incorporated into a contract, cooperative agreement, or grant.
Members of the public may petition the Department to modify or withdraw specific guidance documents. To petition for a significant guidance document to be created, modified, reconsidered, or rescinded, email the Department of Labor.
Petitions to Modify or Withdraw a DOL guidance document may also be submitted by mail at the address below. Petitions should identify the specific guidance document by name and include your reason(s) for requesting withdrawal or modification.
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of the Executive Secretariat
200 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20210
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Electrical equipment approved by a NRTL is acceptable to OSHA. - [1910.7; 1910.303(a); 1910.303(b); 1910.399]
Enforcement of the engineering and work practice control provisions of the lead standard, 1910.1025(e)(1). - [1910.1025; 1910.1025(e)(1)]
Evaluation of the use of aluminum forms as an exit route from trench excavations. - [1926.651; 1926.651(c)(2)]
Requirements for use of high-visibility warning garments by construction workers in highway work zones. - [1926.200; 1926.201; 1926.202; 1926.203; 1926.201(a); 1926.200(g)(2); 1926.651(d)]
Requirements for providing eyewashes/showers near spray finishing operations. - [1910.151(c); 1910.107]
Guidance, developed by the Department of Labor, for retirement plan fiduciaries on selecting and monitoring service providers to the plan.
The upper rails and end caps of self-supporting ladders are not required to be slip-resistant. - [1926.1053; 1926.1053(b)(7)]
Whether the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 150 Holiday and Vacation Fund is an "employee benefit plan" within the meaning of section 3(3) of ERISA.
Rescue of a suspended worker following a fall event. - [1910.268; 1910.269; 1910.269(b)(1)(ii)]
Retention of exposure and audiometric testing records by successor employers. - [1910.95; 1910.95(m)(5); 1910.95(m)(3)]
Composition, span, and deflection of underslung bridge scaffold platform systems. - [1926.451; 1926.451(f)(16); 1926.450]
Evaluation of the Jax Scaffold System. - [1926.451; 1926.451(g)(4)(vii); 1926.451(a)]
Alternative fall protection for leading edge work during precast concrete erection. - [1926.501(b); 1926.501(b)(12); 1926.502(k)]
Clarification from OSHA regarding the use of the NeedleguardTM in a hospital environment. - [1910.1030; 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv); 1910.1030(c)(1)(v); 1910.1030(d)(2)(i); 1910.1030(d)(4)(iii)]
No person is allowed to stand or pass under the elevated portion of any powered industrial truck. - [1910.178; 1910.178(m)(2)]
Examines whether a nonprofit association can be a covered enterprise within the meaning of Sections 3(r) or 3(s) of the FLSA.
Printing Industry: Lock Out/Tag Out and the essential elements of the inch-safe-service technique. - [1910.147; 1910.147(f)(1); 1910.147(a)(2)(ii); 1910.147(a)(3)(ii)]
Guidance addressing whether Health Savings Accounts established in connection with employment-based group health plans constitute "employee welfare benefit plans" for purposes of Title I of ERISA.
Acceptability of locking switches in the closed (on) position for transformers attached to the main bus duct system. - [1910.304(d)(1); 1910.399]
Blood lead laboratories are not required to report the OSHA levels at which additional employer obligations are triggered under the lead standards. - [1910.1025; 1926.62 ]
This letter provides guidance on counting employees from temporary agencies with employer coverage.
Examines whether the a cash out payment of accrued vacation time to firefighters is to be considered in the computation of the regular rate for overtime compensation purposes.
Requirement to use U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets for workers performing construction work over or near water does not specify type or classification. - [1926.106; 1926.106(a)]
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Fact Sheet
Fixed Wiring in Research Facilities and High Voltage Cable Tray Systems at Department of Energy (DOE) Research Laboratories - [1910.305(a); 1910.305(a)(2); 1910.305(a)(2)(iii)(B); 1910.305(a)(3); 1910.305(b); 1910.305(g)(1); 1910.305(g)(1)(i); 1910.305(g)
Removal of regulators and use of valve protection caps when hoisting compressed gas cylinders. - [1926.350; 1926.350(a); 1926.350(a)(6)]
Written approval requirements for powered industrial truck modifications and additions that affect capacity or safe operation. - [1910.178; 1910.178(a)(4)]
Examines whether work garments that the employer requires employees to wear while on duty are uniforms and whether the employer may require the employee to bear the cost of such garments if the cost would effectively reduce wages below the minimum wage.
Compliance of type SJTW flexible cords with 1926.405(a)(2)(ii)(J) and use on construction sites. - [1926.405; 1926.405(a)(2)(ii)(J)]
Fit testing is not required for employees not exposed to a hazardous atmosphere and not required to wear a respirator. - [1910.134; 1910.134(f)]
OSHA does not have standards limiting maximum weight employees can lift/carry. - [OSH Act of 1970 - Section 5(a)(1)]
Fall protection requirements for pump jack scaffold railings. - [1926.451(g); 1926.451(g)(1); 1926.451(g)(2); 1926.451(g)(4); 1926.452(j)]
Use of laser guarding devices for hydraulic press brakes. - [1910.212; 1910.212(a)]
Fall protection during roofing inspections, investigations, and assessments. - [1926.500(a); 1926.501(b)(10); 1926.502(f)(2)]
OSHA has no standards prohibiting pets in the workplace. - [OSH Act of 1970 - Section 5(a)(1)]
Fall protection and controlled access zones for overhand bricklaying. - [1926.501(b)(9); 1926.502(g); 1926.502(g)(3); 1926.502(g)(2); 1926.501(b)(4)]
Height to base width ratio for mobile scaffolds with/without outriggers. - [1926.451(c)(1); 1926.452(w)(6); 1926.452(w)(6)(ii); 1926.452(w)(6)(iii)]
Use of caution tape or rope to barricade a crane's swing radius; guarding of lug connectors on portable welders. - [1926.550(a)(9); 1926.403(a); 1926.403(i)(2)(i)]
Use of personal fall arrest systems at the edge of a well, pit, shaft, or similar excavation. - [1926.501; 1926.501(b)(7)(ii)]
Requirements for reverse signal alarms for vehicles with obstructed views to the rear. - [1910.269; 1910.269(p)(1)(ii)(A); 1910.269(p)(1)(ii)(B)]
Recording criteria for recordkeeping cases involving occupational hearing loss. - [1904; 1904.10(b)(4); 1910.95(m)(2)]
Requirement and design of fire-resistant barriers for oxygen and fuel-gas cylinders. - [1926.350; 1926.350(a)(10)]
Wire rope clips on suspension scaffolds; safety latches on large crane hooks; order of assembly for hanging scaffolds; and horizontal lifeline design. - [1926.502(d)(8); 1926.502(b); 1926.251(c); 1926.760(d); 1926.502(d)(14); 1926.451(a); 1926.451(b); 192
Sall, Carl
The predominant use of structural steel would not be considered "residential construction." - [1926.501(b)(13); 1926.502(k)]
Training for telecommunications employees must be "appropriate" for worksites and job tasks. - [1910.268; 1910.268(c)(1); 1910.268(c)(2); 1910.268(c)(3)]
Portable ladders not extending 3 feet above upper landing must be secured. - [1926.1053; 1926.1053(b)(1)]
Identification, inspection, and marking of cranes when manufacturer-supplied identifications are unavailable. - [1926.550; 1926.550(a); 1926.550(a)(5); 1926.550(a)(6); 1926.550(b)(2); 1926.550(c); 1926.550(d); 1926.550(e); 1926.550(f); 1926.32(f)]
Permissibility of attaching welding leads to an occupied aerial lift bucket and using an external lifeline to anchor fall arrest equipment. - [1926.351(c)(6); 1926.453(b)(2)(xi); 1926.453(b)(2)(v); 1926.453(b)(2)(iii); 1926.453(b)(2)(vi)]
Hard hats are not required where there is no exposure to head injuries. - [1926.100; 1926.100(a)]
Fall protection components from different manufacturers may be used together provided connecting parts are sized compatibly. - [1926.502; 1926.502(d); 1926.502(d)(5); 1926.502(d)(6); 1926.502(e)(7); 1926.502(e)(8)]
Whether a domestic relations order that changes a prior assignment of benefits to an alternate payee to reduce the amount assigned to the alternate payee may be a qualified domestic relations order within the meaning of section 206(d)(3) of ERISA.
Process operators' training requirements to take limited action in stopping an emergency release; role in an incident command system. - [1910.120; 1910.120(q)(3)(i); 1910.120(q)(6)(ii); 1910.120(q)(6)(v)]
Employees with occasional exposure to noise levels in excess of 85 dBA TWA must be included in the company's hearing conservation program. - [1910.95]
Minimum exposure for inclusion in the hearing conservation program (HCP); removal criteria. - [1910.95; 1910.95(c)(1); 1910.95(m)]
Minimum toe clearance for workers using manhole rungs during construction work. - [1926.27(c)(4); 1926.1053(a)(13)]
Application of the hazard communication standard to latex paints containing less than 6% crystalline silica. - [1910.1200]
Use of laser guarding systems with hydraulic press brakes. - [1910.212; 1910.212(a)(1); 1910.212(a)(3)]
Clarification of "authorized" and "affected" employees and proper energy control procedures. - [1910.147(b); 1910.147(c)(4); 1910.147(c)(7)(i); 1910.147(d); 1910.147(d)(4)(i); 1910.147(f)(3)(ii); 1910.147(f)(3)]
Current studies on the use of engineering controls to decrease asbestos exposures to mechanics performing brake and clutch repair. - [1910.1001; 1910.1001(j)(4); 1910.1001(f)(3)]
Fall protection requirements for work docks/bridges used during bridge construction. - [1915.2; 1910.12(a); 1917.1(a); 1926.450(b); 1926.451(g)(1); 1926.106]
Requirements for load-testing and marking of special custom-design rigging accessories; applicability of ASME standards. - [1926.251; 1926.251(a)(4); 1926.32; 1926.32(q)]
Fit testing requirements for employees who wear respirators to protect against M. Tuberculosis, SARS, Smallpox, and Monkeypox. - [1910.134; 1910.134(f)]
Material safety data sheet requirements for experimental chemical mixtures that are shipped off-site. - [1910.1200; 1910.1200(b)(3)(iv); 1910.1200(g)]
Discusses the definintion of "agriculture" under Section 3(f) of the FLSA as well as the exemption at 13(a)(6)(C) for "hand harvest laborers" and their potential for application to the seafood processor at inquiry.
Discusses the definintion of "agriculture" under Section 3(f) of the FLSA and its potential for application to the seafood processor at inquiry.
Requirements for providing seatbelts for drivers whose size precludes their using seatbelts. - [1926.601; 1926.601(b)(9); 1926.95(a); 1910.132(a); 1926.601(a)]
Compliance of an aerial lift fall protection device connected with a releasable tether and a non-releasable tether. - [1926.453; 1926.453(b)(2)(iii); 1926.453(b)(2)(v); 1905.11; 1926.502(d)]
Concern of potential adverse affects from latex by consumers and health care patients with Hevea Natural Rubber Latex Allergy. - [1975.3; 1910.132; 1910.1030; 1910.1030(d)(3)(iii)]
OSHA does not have requirements for normal color vision. - [OSH Act of 1970 - Section 5(a)(1)]
Requirements for storage and handling of gasoline on a construction site. - [1926.152(a); 1926.152(a)(1); 1926.152(e); 1926.152(e)(2); 1926.152(f); 1926.152(g); 1926.155(a); 1926.155(l)]
Clarification as to whether operators of mobile cranes with operator cabs are subject to seat belt requirements. - [1926.28(a); 1926.601; 1926.601(a); 1926.601(b)(9)]
Whether the Health Fund, Legal Fund, and Paraprofessional Fund (collectively, Funds), are "governmental plan[s]," as defined in ERISA § 3(32), and, therefore, excluded from Title I coverage by § 4(b)(1) of ERISA.
Compliance of shop-installed steel angle or bent plates running along the length of the top flange of a perimeter beam. - [1926.754; 1926.754(c)(1)(i)]
Gas cylinder carts with patented engineered steel fire barriers compliance with 1926.350(a)(10). - [1926.350; 1926.350(a)(10)]
Use of portable ladders on tank builder's scaffolds during scaffold dismantling process in construction. - [1926.450; 1926.451; 1926.451(e); 1926.451(e)(2); 1926.451(e)(9); 1926.451(e)(9)(i); 1926.451(e)(9)(ii); 1926.451(f); 1926.451(f)(15); 1926.451(f)(1
Bloodborne Pathogens Standard application to small healthcare facilities and the annual review of the Exposure Control Plan. - [1910.1030; 1910.1030(c)(1)(ii); 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv); 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(A); 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(B)]
Employer's responsibility to provide bloodborne pathogens training to lifeguards. - [1910.1030; 1910.1030(g)(2); 1910.1030(h)(2)]
Employer's responsibility to re-evaluate engineering controls, i.e., safer needle devices, at least annually. - [1910.1030; 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv); 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(A); 1910.1030(c)(1)(iv)(B)]
Standards applicable to an automatic transfer device for processing and moving product. - [1910.179; 1910 Subpart D; 1910 Subpart S; 1910 Subpart O]
Evaluation of seven scenarios for work-relatedness and recordkeeping requirements. - [1904; 1904.5; 1904.5(a); 1904.5(b)(2); 1904.7; 1904.6; 1904.6(a); 1904.31]
Requirements for leaving construction vehicles unattended and running on an off-highway job-site. - [1926.600; 1926.600(a)(3)(ii)]
Determining work-relatedness when the work event or exposure is only one of the discernable causes; not the sole or predominant cause. - [1904; 1904.5(a); 1904.5(b)(4); 1904.6]
Principe, William
Information Letter to Jon W. Breyfogle, Esq.
Guidance as to whether certain group annuity contracts may satisfy the definition of a "guaranteed benefit policy" contained in section 401(b)(2) of ERISA.
Guidance helping small businesses understand whether they meet the conditions for a waiver of the requirement for an annual audit for the plans they offer their employees.
Evaluation of shop-installed angle iron on the top beam flange in Steel Erection. - [1926.754(c)(1); 1926.754(c)(1)(i)]
Whether the Glynn-Brunswick Memorial Hospital Retirement Plan is a "governmental plan" within the meaning of ERISA section 3(32) that is excepted from coverage under Title I by section 4(b)(1) of ERISA.
Application of the asbestos standard and labeling requirements to gaskets or packings containing >1% asbestos. - [1910.1001; 1926.1101(k)(8)(vi)(A); 1910.1001(j)(6)(i)]
Designation of an entire floor as a controlled decking zone for steel decking work. - [1926.760; 1926.760(c); 1926.760(c)(3); 1926.760(c)(5)]
Fall protection requirements for stairwells and mechanical chase openings surrounded by interior stud walls in residential construction. - [1926.501; 1926.500(b); 1926.501(b)(14); 1926.501(b)(4)(i); 1926.501(b)(4)(ii); 1926.502(i)]
Process safety information for ventilation system design. - [1910.119; 1910.119(d)(3)(i); 1926.64(d)(3)(i)]
Registered professional engineer approval requirements for combination trench shield and sloping system trenches with a depth greater than 20 feet. - [1926.650(b); 1926.652; 1926.652(a); 1926.652(b); 1926.652(b)(3); 1926.652(b)(4)]
Clarification on several issues regarding OSHA's construction industry standards for fall protection. - [1926.32(f); 1926.501(b); 1926.501(b)(2); 1926.501(b)(12); 1926.501(b)(13); 1926.502(c)(4); 1926.502(c)(4)(ii); 1926.502(d)(19); 1926.502(d)(20); 1926.
Elements necessary for a violation of the General Duty Clause.
Posting requirements for the OSHA 300 Log and OSHA 300-A Summary Form. - [1904; 1904.32(a)(4); 1904.32(b)(6); 1904.26(b)(6); 1904.29(b)(10)]
Greer, Alana
Clarification of several residential construction and fall protection issues. - [1926.501(b)(1); 1926.501(b)(13); 1926.502(d); 1926.502(f)(2); 1926.502(k)]
This letter provides guidance on the employer's ability to require substitution of unpaid FMLA leave as paid FMLA leave when the leave period may be otherwise covered by payment from plans covering temporary disabilities.
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