29 CFR 1910 · General Industry · Subpart I

1910.135(b): Criteria for head protection

By Black Belt Safety Editorial Team Official text as of October 15, 2026 Data updated November 6, 2026 3 min read

Key takeaways

  • 1910.135(b) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I).
  • OSHA cited it 1 times in the last 3 years, in 1 inspections, with $0 in current penalties.
  • Related part: 1910.135(b)(1) (1 citations).
  • Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.

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1citations, 3 years
$0current penalties
1inspections
0linked injury cases
In this article
  1. What this rule covers
  2. Official text
  3. Where and how often it was cited
  4. Free toolbox talk
  5. OSHA interpretation letters
  6. Related parts of this rule
  7. Get your crew competent
  8. About this page

What this rule covers

29 CFR 1910.135(b) ("Criteria for head protection") is one requirement inside 1910.135 Head protection, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart I). It includes 5 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

(b) Criteria for head protection. 1 citations

(1) Head protection must comply with any of the following consensus standards: Open (b)(1) 1 citations

(i) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-2009, “American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection,” incorporated by reference in § 1910.6;

(ii) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-2003, “American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection,” incorporated by reference in § 1910.6; or

(iii) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z89.1-1997, “American National Standard for Personnel Protection—Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers—Requirements,” incorporated by reference in § 1910.6.

(2) Head protection devices that the employer demonstrates are at least as effective as head protection devices that are constructed in accordance with one of the above consensus standards will be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this section.

[59 FR 16362, Apr. 6, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 9238, Mar. 7, 1996; 61 FR 19548, May 2, 1996; 74 FR 46356, Sept. 9, 2009; 77 FR 37598, June 22, 2012]

Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.135.

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Where and how often it was cited

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OSHA interpretation letters

None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.135(b).

Related parts of this rule

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About this page

Sources

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.

Written and reviewed by

Black Belt Safety Editorial Team

Site Safety Officer and Safety Professional

OSHA 30 · CPR · USACE CQM

Written and reviewed by the Black Belt Safety team. Every post is checked against the OSHA standard or agency source it cites.

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