1910.165(a): Scope and application
Key takeaways
- 1910.165(a) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart L).
- Related part: 1910.165(a)(1).
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What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.165(a) ("Scope and application") is one requirement inside 1910.165 Employee alarm systems, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart L). It includes 3 sub-paragraphs. 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
(a) Scope and application.
(1) This section applies to all emergency employee alarms installed to meet a particular OSHA standard. This section does not apply to those discharge or supervisory alarms required on various fixed extinguishing systems or to supervisory alarms on fire suppression, alarm or detection systems unless they are intended to be employee alarm systems. Open (a)(1)
(2) The requirements in this section that pertain to maintenance, testing and inspection shall apply to all local fire alarm signaling systems used for alerting employees regardless of the other functions of the system.
(3) All pre-discharge employee alarms installed to meet a particular OSHA standard shall meet the requirements of paragraphs (b)(1) through (4), (c), and (d)(1) of this section.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.165.
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OSHA interpretation letters
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.165 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly
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.