What is the General Duty Clause under OSHA?

“Each employer—

(1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;”

• 29 U.S.C. 666, Civil and criminal penalties 3 paragraphs use the term.
• 29 U.S.C. 658, Citations One paragraph uses the term.
• 29 CFR 1903.14 One paragraph uses the term.

• Serious violation A violation with a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, unless the employer could not have known of it.
• Employer A person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees. The federal government and state and local governments are excluded.
• OSHA citation The written notice OSHA issues when it believes an employer has violated the OSH Act, a standard or a regulation.
• Imminent danger Conditions that could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm immediately or before ordinary enforcement can remove them.

All terms in the OSHA glossary

1. 29 U.S.C. 654, Duties of employers and employees. U.S. Code, 2024 edition, current through January 6, 2025, from govinfo.gov.

Written by Cairn, updated October 29, 2026. The quoted text is copied from the sources above. A test compares each quotation with a stored copy of the source, and a separate script compares that copy with the live sources. This page explains the law and is not legal advice.