Compliance Stuff

This is the sixteenth installment in a series of articles intended to provide the reader with a very high-level overview of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and how both influence workplaces in the United States. Quick Hits OSHA-approved state plans  have their own workplace safety and health  regulations , which must be at least as effective as the corresponding  federal OSHA regulations . Within the list of state plan programs, California, Oregon, and Washington are the most active in enforcement. Each state plan has substantial procedural differences and its own system for issuing, appealing, and litigating citations. By the time this series is complete, the reader should be conversant in the subjects covered and have developed a deeper understanding of how the OSH Act and OSHA work. The series is not—nor can it be, of course— a comprehensive study of the OSH Act or OSHA capable of equippi...

OSHA requirements are set by statute, standards, and regulations. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. Each letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of the requirements discussed. Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information. These letters of interpretation and the standards they address may not apply to OSHA State Plans. State Plans are required to have standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as OSHA's and may have different or additional requirements. Please see  OSHA-approved State Plans  for more information.   Source(s): Letters of Interpretation | Occupational Safety and Health Administration . (2025, April 29). Osha.gov. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations OSHA. (2020).  State Plans | Occu...