OSHA Regulations for the State of Texas
The State of Texas is another state that follows the Federal OSHA standards to ensure the occupational health and safety of employees in the workplace. Accordingly, private sector employers must comply with all Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations across the construction, maritime, agriculture, and general industries. These private sector employers in the state of Texas also must comply with the Federal OSHA recordkeeping standard. The Whistleblower standard of Federal OSHA is also applicable to private sector employers and employees.
As there is no separate Texas State Plan, local government and state sector employers and employees do not fall under the jurisdiction of Federal OSHA. However, federal government employees must follow Federal OSHA standards.
On-Site Consultation Program in the State of Texas
Federal OSHA offers a free consultation service/program to employers across all U.S. states. This on-site consultation program is offered to private sector employers in the state of Texas through the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation. This on-site consultation program is referred to as OSHCON (Occupational Safety and Health Consultation Program) in the state of Texas.
The program is carried out as recommended by Federal OSHA and helps small and medium-sized businesses operating high-hazard worksites or involved in hazardous work operations to obtain a free consultation to support hazard identification and the implementation of appropriate programs and plans to minimize or eliminate workplace hazards to enhance worker safety and health.
For more information about the on-site consultation program, visit the dedicated page on OSHA’s website.
Federal OSHA Offices in Texas
There are nine dedicated Federal OSHA offices in the state of Texas to provide support to employers and employees to comply with OSHA standards. These offices are located in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston North, Houston South, Lubbock, and San Antonio areas. Any private sector employer or employee can contact an office closest to them for assistance related to Federal OSHA Standards and their compliance or non-compliance.