Resources · Reference
In regulation, vocabulary is law.
“Competent person” isn't a compliment — it's a legal status with duties attached. These are the terms that decide citations, contests, and compliance programs, defined in plain English.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations — the codified rules of federal agencies, organized in 50 titles. OSHA lives in Title 29; DOT in Title 49. |
| Standard | A specific regulatory requirement, e.g. 29 CFR 1926.501. The numbered law employers must follow. |
| Competent person | One who can identify existing and predictable hazards AND has employer authorization to take prompt corrective action. Required by name in scaffolding, excavation, fall protection, and more. |
| Qualified person | One who by degree, certificate, or extensive experience has demonstrated ability to solve problems relating to the subject matter — a knowledge bar, distinct from competent person's authority bar. |
| General Duty Clause | Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act: employers must keep workplaces free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm — OSHA's tool when no specific standard exists. |
| LOI | Letter of Interpretation — OSHA's official written answer to a compliance question. Explains how the agency reads its own standards; doesn't create new law. |
| Serious violation | A hazard with substantial probability of death or serious harm that the employer knew or should have known about. |
| Willful violation | Intentional disregard or plain indifference to the law — the 10x penalty tier, and criminal territory when connected to a fatality. |
| Repeat violation | A substantially similar violation cited within five years at any of the employer's establishments. |
| Abatement | Fixing the cited hazard by the citation's deadline; failure-to-abate accrues per-day penalties. |
| PEL | Permissible Exposure Limit — the maximum legal exposure to a chemical or agent, usually as an 8-hour time-weighted average. |
| TWA | Time-Weighted Average — exposure averaged over the workday; how most PELs are expressed. |
| SDS | Safety Data Sheet — the 16-section chemical hazard document HazCom requires for every hazardous chemical on site. |
| GHS | Globally Harmonized System — the international labeling and classification system HazCom adopted in 2012. |
| PPE | Personal Protective Equipment — the last line in the hierarchy of controls, governed generally by 1910.132. |
| LOTO | Lockout/Tagout — the energy control program of 1910.147 protecting servicing employees from unexpected startup. |
| Permit space | A confined space with a serious hazard (atmosphere, engulfment, configuration) requiring written permits and attendants for entry. |
| Recordable | An injury/illness meeting Part 1904 criteria (beyond first aid) that must go on the OSHA 300 log. |
| DART | Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred — the injury rate metric derived from your 300 log that insurers and clients read. |
| EMR | Experience Modification Rate — the insurance multiplier your loss history produces; the financial echo of your safety record. |
| NEP | National Emphasis Program — OSHA's targeted inspection campaigns (e.g., warehousing, heat, trenching). |
| CSHO | Compliance Safety and Health Officer — the OSHA inspector at your door. |
| State plan | A state-run OSHA program (22 cover private employers) that must be at least as effective as federal OSHA. |
| Variance | Official permission to comply with a standard by alternate means providing equal protection. |
| De minimis | A technical violation with no safety relationship — documented but not cited or penalized. |
Essential OSHA and CFR terminology
Why definitions decide cases
Citation contests routinely turn on definitions: whether the foreman was a “competent person,” whether the space met the permit-space criteria, whether the injury was “recordable.” The regulatory definitions sections (like §1926.32 and §1910.2) are law, not front matter — and OSHA's Letters of Interpretation refine them case by case. In RegLogic, defined terms link to their definitions and the LOIs that interpret them, so the vocabulary is never more than a tap from the standard using it.
Every standard referenced here is one search away in RegLogic — start here.
Start HereFAQ
Common questions
Where do official definitions live?
Each part carries its own definitions sections (e.g., §1910.2, §1926.32, and subpart-specific definitions). When a standard defines a term, that definition controls over dictionary meanings.
Competent vs. qualified person — the short version?
Competent = can spot hazards AND has authority to stop work. Qualified = has proven knowledge/skill for the technical subject. Standards specify which one they require; some tasks need both.
Do LOIs carry legal force?
They're OSHA's official reading of its own standards — persuasive in enforcement and contests, though they can't impose new obligations. Knowing the LOIs on your standards is knowing how OSHA will argue.
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