OSHA Standards: Reading the Code of Federal Regulations

Since its inception in 1970, OSHA has developed (and continues to develop) its standards and regulations. These are documented in the United States Code of Federal Regulations, which is a compendium of all written federal rules and regulations.

It is important to know how to access and read the CFR because employers (and occasionally employees) will have to consult the CFR for clarification on regulations. As a review, here are some important things to remember about the CFR:

• The CFR is broken into 50 sections called titles.
• You can easily access the CFR online using the e-CFR.
• Title 29 is "Labor." Most regulations related to OSHA are in this section.
• Each title is further broken down into sections, subsections, and paragraphs.
• You can also read the codes on the OSHA website.

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