1910.165(b)(5): OSHA rule
Key takeaways
- 1910.165(b)(5) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart L).
- OSHA cited it 7 times in the last 3 years, in 7 inspections, with $17,025 in current penalties.
- Related part: 1910.165(b) General requirements (33 citations).
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What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.165(b)(5) is one requirement inside 1910.165 Employee alarm systems, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart L). 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
(5) The employer shall establish procedures for sounding emergency alarms in the workplace. For those employers with 10 or fewer employees in a particular workplace, direct voice communication is an acceptable procedure for sounding the alarm provided all employees can hear the alarm. Such workplaces need not have a back-up system. 7 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.165.
Export the list: 7 inspections cited 1910.165(b)(5) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moWhere and how often it was cited
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.165(b)(5).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.165(b) General requirements 33 citations
- 1910.165(b)(2) 11 citations
- 1910.165(b)(3) 3 citations
- 1910.165(b)(4) 3 citations
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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; data as of 2026-11-05
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.