Civil Enforcement

A safe workplace is central to our ability to enjoy health, security, and the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Accordingly, assuring worker safety in a complex and sometimes dangerous modern economy is a vital function of our government.

The OSHA (OSH Act) regulations apply to all private sector and federal employees. Therefore, EPA is required to comply with OSHA and all EPA employees, in the broadest sense, are covered under OSHA regulations.

EPA office workers like attorneys, scientists, engineers, and secretaries are covered by OSHA regulations that include but are not limited to the following areas:

• General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA Statute mandating employers to provide a workplace free from health and safety hazards (e.g., ergonomic hazards such as properly designed work stations, lifting aids and restrictions, and repetitive motion concerns)
  
  
• Employee emergency plans and fire prevention plans and means of egress requirements (29 C.F.R. 1910.38)
  
  
• Use and operation of Portable Fire Extinguishers (29 C.F.R. 1910.157)
  
  
• Hazard Communications Standard (29 C.F.R. 1910.1200)
  
  
• Illness and Injury Record Keeping Requirements (29 C.F.R. 1910.4)
  
  

EPA field workers, such as inspectors and laboratory workers, are covered by many additional OSHA regulations which are specific to the hazard areas and environments they my encounter. Some, but not all of the applicable OSHA regulations include those in the following areas:

• Health and Safety training appropriate to the work performed, potential hazards, and the working environment: for hazardous waste field work (29 C.F.R. 1910.120); for laboratory work (29 C.F.R. 1910.1450)
  
  
• Personal protective equipment (eye, face, hand, body) (29 C.F.R. 1910.132-133)
  
  
• Respiratory protection (29 C.F.R. 1910.134)
  
  
• Hazardous waste operations and emergency response (29 C.F.R.1910.120)
  
  

• Permit-required confined spaces (29 C.F.R. 1910.146)
  
  

• Occupational noise exposure (29 C.F.R. 1910.95)
  
  

• Exposure to various air contaminants (29 C.F.R. 1910.1000-1910, 1052)
  
  
• Other specific standards depending upon the industry or operation being evaluated
  

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