1910.134(d)(1)(iii): Evaluating Respiratory Hazards
Employers must identify and evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace, including a reasonable estimate of employee exposures and the contaminant's chemical state and physical form. If the employer cannot identify or reasonably estimate exposure, the atmosphere must be treated as IDLH.
Key takeaways
- 1910.134(d)(1)(iii) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I).
- OSHA cited it 312 times in the last 3 years, in 312 inspections, with $705,259 in current penalties.
- 7 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: VA (33), MA (26), OH (25).
- Related part: 1910.134(d) Selection of respirators (573 citations).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1)(iii) is one requirement inside 1910.134 Respiratory protection, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart I). The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(iii) The employer shall identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; this evaluation shall include a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazard(s) and an identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form. Where the employer cannot identify or reasonably estimate the employee exposure, the employer shall consider the atmosphere to be IDLH. 312 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.134.
Injuries linked to this rule
7 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.134(d)(1)(iii).
At 8:00 a.m. on January 24, 2025, Employee #1 was working as an assembler for an industrial furnace and oven manufacturer was working inside a powder coating booth. The facility powder coats metal parts with a variety of products, that includes Sky White powder coating.…
Full case list with employer, penalty, filters and download is part of OSHA Data (Purple Belt).
Unlock with Purple BeltWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 119 |
| 2025 | 99 |
| 2026 | 84 |
Top states: VA (33), MA (26), OH (25), RI (21), TX (20)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| TACTICAL CLEANING ACQUISITION, LLC | HARWOOD, TX | $16,550 |
| VTCU, CORP. | POCATELLO, ID | $16,550 |
| JOBE MATERIALS, L.P. | EL PASO, TX | $16,550 |
| H2O INNOVATION OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE, LLC | TRINITY, TX | $16,550 |
| FLEETPRIDE INC. | CORPUS CHRISTI, TX | $16,550 |
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.134(d)(1)(iii), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.134(d) Selection of respirators 573 citations
- 1910.134(d)(1) General requirements 477 citations
- 1910.134(d)(1)(i) 88 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3) Respirators for atmospheres that are not IDLH 86 citations
- 1910.134(d)(1)(ii) 74 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(iii) 53 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B) 52 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(i) 28 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(B) Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) 16 citations
- 1910.134(d)(2) Respirators for IDLH atmospheres 10 citations
- 1910.134(d)(2)(i) 9 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(A) Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) 3 citations
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Frequently asked questions
What must the respiratory hazard evaluation include?
A reasonable estimate of employee exposures and identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form.
What if exposure cannot be estimated?
The employer must consider the atmosphere to be IDLH (immediately dangerous to life or health).
Who does the evaluation?
The employer.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.134 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-20
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.