OSHA Basics: Incorporation by Reference (IBR)

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Our OSHA Basics series of articles explains basic, fundamental, and important topics related to OSHA and OSHA compliance.

In this OSHA Basics article, we’re going to explain to you what “incorporation by reference” means. Incorporation by reference is also sometimes known by the acronym IBR.

Incorporation by Reference

In many cases, an OSHA standard simply states a rule, spelling out the compliance requirement word-for-word.

In other cases, the OSHA standard won’t spell out the compliance requirement every time, but will instead say the employer must follow the rules set out in a different document, such as a consensus standard created by an organization such as ANSI.

This situation, in which an OSHA standard essentially says “do what it says to do in this other document,” is known as incorporation by reference, which is sometimes abbreviated as IBR.

Here’s how OSHA puts it in 1910.6 (the general industry standard:

The standards of agencies of the U.S. Government, and organizations which are not agencies of the U.S. Government which are incorporated by reference in this part, have the same force and effect as other standards in this part.

And they say the exact same thing in 1926.6 (the construction standard):

The standards of agencies of the U.S. Government, and organizations which are not agencies of the U.S. Government which are incorporated by reference in this part, have the same force and effect as other standards in this part.

Go here for a list of what’s incorporated by reference in the 1910 general industry standards.

Go here for a list of what’s incorporated by reference in the 1926 construction standards.


“Shalls” and “Shoulds” in Documents Incorporated By Reference

Many times, one of these documents/standards that’s incorporated by reference into an OSHA standard will have columns on the left that include the word “shall” and columns on the right that include a word such as “should” or “may.”

Shall means you must do it. May means it’s not required, but may be a good idea.

That’s what OSHA is getting at when, in discussing IBR, they say: “Only the mandatory provisions (i.e., provisions containing the word “shall” or other mandatory language) of standards incorporated by reference are adopted as standards under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.”

What does this mean to you? If an OSHA standard incorporates another standard or document by reference, and if that incorporated standard includes a mandatory (“shall”) section and an optional (“should”) section, you’re only required to comply with the mandatory section.


Conclusion: Incorporation by Reference

If you found this “OSHA Basics” article on incorporation by reference useful, you may also want to check out some of the following articles:

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Jeffrey Dalto

Jeffrey Dalto

Jeffrey Dalto is an Instructional Designer and the Senior Learning & Development Specialist at Convergence Training. He's worked in training/learning & development for 25 years, in safety and safety training for more than 10, is an OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer for General Industry OSHA 10 and 30, has completed a General Industry Safety and Health Specialist Certificate from the University of Washington/Pacific Northwest OSHA Education Center and an Instructional Design certification from the Association of Talent Development (ATD), and is a member of the committee creating the upcoming ANSI/ASSP Z490.2 national standard on online environmental, health, and safety training. Jeff frequently writes for magazines related to safety, safety training, and training and frequently speaks at conferences on the same issues, including the Washington Governor's Safety and Health Conference, the Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Conference, the Wisconsin Safety Conference, the MSHA Training Resources Applied to Mining (TRAM) Conference, and others.

2 thoughts on “OSHA Basics: Incorporation by Reference (IBR)

  1. I’m getting conflicting replies to questions regarding IBR for process ventilation and combustible dust controls and protection. Under Federal OSHA, I don’t see that ANSI Z9.2 applies to all industries or industrial applications. Do you have more details on how best practices of ventilation design & operation are being regulated prior to an injury or illness?

    1. Victor, that’s (1) a good question and (2) beyond my range of expertise.

      What I’d recommend is contacting whichever OSHA office has jurisdiction in your state (Fed or state, if applicable) and talking with their consultive services.

      Good luck!

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