1910.1020(c)(5): Employee exposure record
Key takeaways
- 1910.1020(c)(5) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910).
- Related part: 1910.1020(c)(14) Trade secret.
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.1020(c)(5) ("Employee exposure record") is one requirement inside 1910.1020 Access to employee exposure and medical records, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910). It includes 4 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
(5) Employee exposure record means a record containing any of the following kinds of information:
(i) Environmental (workplace) monitoring or measuring of a toxic substance or harmful physical agent, including personal, area, grab, wipe, or other form of sampling, as well as related collection and analytical methodologies, calculations, and other background data relevant to interpretation of the results obtained; Open (c)(5)(i)
(ii) Biological monitoring results which directly assess the absorption of a toxic substance or harmful physical agent by body systems (e.g., the level of a chemical in the blood, urine, breath, hair, fingernails, etc) but not including results which assess the biological effect of a substance or agent or which assess an employee's use of alcohol or drugs;
(iii) Material safety data sheets indicating that the material may pose a hazard to human health; or Open (c)(5)(iii)
(iv) In the absence of the above, a chemcial inventory or any other record which reveals where and when used and the identity (e.g., chemical, common, or trade name) of a toxic substance or harmful physical agent.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.1020.
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.1020(c)(5).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.1020(c)(14) Trade secret
- 1910.1020(c)(8)
- 1910.1020(c)(13) Toxic substance or harmful physical agent
- 1910.1020(c)(10) Record
- 1910.1020(c)(7) Employer
- 1910.1020(c) Definitions
- 1910.1020(c)(3) Designated representative
- 1910.1020(c)(5)(i)
- 1910.1020(c)(5)(iii)
- 1910.1020(c)(6)
- 1910.1020(c)(6)(i) Employee medical record
- 1910.1020(c)(6)(i)(B)
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.1020 (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.
