Reference

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.106 limits flammable storage cabinets to 60 gallons of Class I or II liquids and requires double-walled steel construction with self-closing doors. NFPA 30 governs local fire code compliance. This guide covers flash point classes, cabinet specs, ventilation rules, quantity limits, grounding, and listing approval.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.23 governs ladders in general industry; 1926.1053 governs construction sites. The 4:1 angle rule and 3-foot extension above landings apply to all portable ladders. This guide covers duty ratings, rung spacing, fixed ladder fall protection at 24 feet, pre-use inspection criteria, and a worked roof-access example.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151 requires adequate first aid supplies in every workplace without a nearby medical facility. ANSI/ISEA Z308.1-2021 defines Class A and Class B kit contents. This guide covers the OSHA three-part obligation, kit class selection, minimum contents, employee-count ratios, construction rules, and inspection frequency.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.135 requires hard hats wherever falling objects or electrical hazards exist. ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 defines Type I and Type II impact classes plus Class E, G, and C electrical ratings. This guide covers all trigger conditions, inner label decoding, service life limits, and a cap-style vs full-brim selection example.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.29 governs guardrail systems in general industry; 1926.502 governs construction. Both standards require 42-inch top rails that withstand 200 lbf. This guide covers trigger heights, load ratings, mid-rail placement, toeboard rules, permitted materials, ladder access openings, and when fall arrest systems can substitute.

N95 and P100 differ on efficiency (95% vs. 99.97%) and oil resistance — N-class is not rated for oil aerosols; P-class is oil-proof. Both carry the same OSHA APF 10. This guide covers when N95 is adequate, when P100 is required by OSHA carcinogen standards, the hazard-by-hazard selection table, and a worked welding fume example.

Lockout tagout (LOTO) prevents hazardous energy releases that kill approximately 120 workers per year in the U.S. This guide covers all six hazardous energy types, the six-step LOTO procedure, lockout vs. tagout, authorized vs. affected employee roles, group lockout, and the annual inspection requirement under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147.

Respirator cartridge colors follow ANSI/ISEA 110: black = organic vapor, white = acid gas, magenta = P100 HEPA. This guide decodes all ten color classes, combination cartridge color bands, brand-by-brand model number mapping for 3M, Honeywell North, and Moldex, and what the colors do not tell you about a cartridge's suitability.

A respirator that does not seal properly cannot deliver its rated protection. A 5% face seal leak drops the APF from 10 to 2. This guide covers the four leakage sites, OSHA's fit testing requirements under 29 CFR 1910.134, qualitative vs. quantitative test types, and a six-step investigation workflow for seal failure complaints.

N95 respirators are single-use under NIOSH 42 CFR Part 84 — no N95 carries a multi-use approval. This guide covers the five NIOSH discard criteria, the electrostatic charge decay mechanism that makes filter degradation invisible, what decontamination research shows, and when to switch to a reusable elastomeric half-mask.

NIOSH (CDC) certifies that respirators, earplugs, and hard hats meet federal performance standards. OSHA (DOL) mandates their use and enforces compliance on the job site. This 2026 reference covers the NIOSH NRR derating formula, OSHA assigned protection factors, PEL vs. REL vs. TLV exposure limit tiers, and a worked compliance example.