The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued seven letters of interpretation to ensure the consistent and transparent application of federal workplace safety and health standards.

These letters provide official explanations of the agency's requirements and how they apply to specific workplace situations and hazardous conditions posed by employers, employees, or other parties.

Letters of interpretation issued this year address the following situations:

• Whether confined spaces requires employers to drain water from pipes before entering for repairs, even when a hazard assessment shows no risk of rupture or leaks
• The enforcement status of OSHA's COVID-19 reporting and recordkeeping requirements
• Whether an employee can demonstrate competence and knowledge in operating power industrial trucks via a live-streamed session
• If companies are permitted to use their own software-generated documents to replace OSHA Form 300 and Form 300A for recordkeeping
• Whether installing bellow valves, leak-proof, or double-seal valves qualifies as engineering controls
• How audiometric testing applies to workers using cochlear implants.
• Whether stair and tread angles of specific dimensions comply with OSHA's standard on stairways

In June, Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling announced the launch of the department's opinion letter program. This initiative reinforces the department's commitment to offering valuable compliance assistance for workers, employers, and other stakeholders to help them comprehend how federal labor laws pertain to specific workplace scenarios.

The public is encouraged to visit OSHA's Letters of Interpretation page to review previous guidance and submit new requests.