29 CFR 1910.1020 - Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
e-CFR data is current as of January 14, 2020
Title 29 → Subtitle B → Chapter XVII → Part 1910 → Subpart Z → §1910.1020

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Title 29: Labor
PART 1910—OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS (CONTINUED)
Subpart Z—Toxic and Hazardous Substances

§1910.1020 Access to employee exposure and medical records.

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide employees and their designated
representatives a right of access to relevant exposure and medical records; and to provide
representatives of the Assistant Secretary a right of access to these records in order to fulfill
responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Access by employees, their
representatives, and the Assistant Secretary is necessary to yield both direct and indirect
improvements in the detection, treatment, and prevention of occupational disease. Each employer
is responsible for assuring compliance with this section, but the activities involved in complying
with the access to medical records provisions can be carried out, on behalf of the employer, by
the physician or other health care personnel in charge of employee medical records. Except as
expressly provided, nothing in this section is intended to affect existing legal and ethical
obligations concerning the maintenance and confidentiality of employee medical information,
the duty to disclose information to a patient/employee or any other aspect of the medical-care
relationship, or affect existing legal obligations concerning the protection of trade secret
information.
(b) Scope and application. (1) This section applies to each general industry, maritime, and
construction employer who makes, maintains, contracts for, or has access to employee exposure
or medical records, or analyses thereof, pertaining to employees exposed to toxic substances or
harmful physical agents.
(2) This section applies to all employee exposure and medical records, and analyses thereof,
of such employees, whether or not the records are mandated by specific occupational safety and
health standards.
(3) This section applies to all employee exposure and medical records, and analyses thereof,
made or maintained in any manner, including on an in-house of contractual (e.g., fee-for-service)
basis. Each employer shall assure that the preservation and access requirements of this section
are complied with regardless of the manner in which the records are made or maintained.

(c) Definitions—(1) Access means the right and opportunity to examine and copy.
(2) Analysis using exposure or medical records means any compilation of data or any
statistical study based at least in part on information collected from individual employee
exposure or medical records or information collected from health insurance claims records,
provided that either the analysis has been reported to the employer or no further work is currently
being done by the person responsible for preparing the analysis.
(3) Designated representative means any individual or organization to whom an employee
gives written authorization to exercise a right of access. For the purposes of access to employee
exposure records and analyses using exposure or medical records, a recognized or certified
collective bargaining agent shall be treated automatically as a designated representative without
regard to written employee authorization.
(4) Employee means a current employee, a former employee, or an employee being assigned
or transferred to work where there will be exposure to toxic substances or harmful physical
agents. In the case of a deceased or legally incapacitated employee, the employee's legal
representative may directly exercise all the employee's rights under this section.
(5) Employee exposure record means a record containing any of the following kinds of
information:
(i) Environmental (workplace) monitoring or measuring of a toxic substance or harmful
physical agent, including personal, area, grab, wipe, or other form of sampling, as well as related
collection and analytical methodologies, calculations, and other background data relevant to
interpretation of the results obtained;
(ii) Biological monitoring results which directly assess the absorption of a toxic substance
or harmful physical agent by body systems (e.g., the level of a chemical in the blood, urine,
breath, hair, fingernails, etc) but not including results which assess the biological effect of a
substance or agent or which assess an employee's use of alcohol or drugs;
(iii) Material safety data sheets indicating that the material may pose a hazard to human
health; or
(iv) In the absence of the above, a chemcial inventory or any other record which reveals
where and when used and the identity (e.g., chemical, common, or trade name) of a toxic
substance or harmful physical agent.
(6)(i) Employee medical record means a record concerning the health status of an employee
which is made or maintained by a physician, nurse, or other health care personnel or technician,
including:
(A) Medical and employment questionnaires or histories (including job description and
occupational exposures),

(B) The results of medical examinations (pre-employment, pre-assignment, periodic, or
episodic) and laboratory tests (including chest and other X-ray examinations taken for the
purposes of establishing a base-line or detecting occupational illness, and all biological
monitoring not defined as an “employee exposure record”),
(C) Medical opinions, diagnoses, progress notes, and recommendations,
(D) First aid records,
(E) Descriptions of treatments and prescriptions, and
(F) Employee medical complaints.
(ii) “Employee medical record” does not include medical information in the form of:
(A) Physical specimens (e.g., blood or urine samples) which are routinely discarded as a
part of normal medical practice; or
(B) Records concerning health insurance claims if maintained separately from the
employer's medical program and its records, and not accessible to the employer by employee
name or other direct personal identifier (e.g., social security number, payroll number, etc.); or
(C) Records created solely in preparation for litigation which are privileged from discovery
under the applicable rules of procedure or evidence; or
(D) Records concerning voluntary employee assistance programs (alcohol, drug abuse, or
personal counseling programs) if maintained separately from the employer's medical program
and its records.
(7) Employer means a current employer, a former employer, or a successor employer.
(8) Exposure or exposed means that an employee is subjected to a toxic substance or
harmful physical agent in the course of employment through any route of entry (inhalation,
ingestion, skin contact or absorption, etc.), and includes past exposure and potential (e.g.,
accidental or possible) exposure, but does not include situations where the employer can
demonstrate that the toxic substance or harmful physical agent is not used, handled, stored,
generated, or present in the workplace in any manner different from typical non-occupational
situations.
(9) Health Professional means a physician, occupational health nurse, industrial hygienist,
toxicologist, or epidemiologist, providing medical or other occupational health services to
exposed employees.
(10) Record means any item, collection, or grouping of information regardless of the form
or process by which it is maintained (e.g., paper document, microfiche, microfilm, X-ray film, or
automated data processing).

(11) Specific chemical identity means the chemical name, Chemical Abstracts Service
(CAS) Registry Number, or any other information that reveals the precise chemical designation
of the substance.
(12)(i) Specific written consent means a written authorization containing the following:
(A) The name and signature of the employee authorizing the release of medical information,
(B) The date of the written authorization,
(C) The name of the individual or organization that is authorized to release the medical
information,
(D) The name of the designated representative (individual or organization) that is authorized
to receive the released information,
(E) A general description of the medical information that is authorized to be released,
(F) A general description of the purpose for the release of the medical information, and
(G) A date or condition upon which the written authorization will expire (if less than one
year).
(ii) A written authorization does not operate to authorize the release of medical information
not in existence on the date of written authorization, unless the release of future information is
expressly authorized, and does not operate for more than one year from the date of written
authorization.
(iii) A written authorization may be revoked in writing prospectively at any time.
(13) Toxic substance or harmful physical agent means any chemical substance, biological
agent (bacteria, virus, fungus, etc.), or physical stress (noise, heat, cold, vibration, repetitive
motion, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, hypo-or hyperbaric pressure, etc.) which:
(i) Is listed in the latest printed edition of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS), which is
incorporated by reference as specified in §1910.6; or
(ii) Has yielded positive evidence of an acute or chronic health hazard in testing conducted
by, or known to, the employer; or
(iii) Is the subject of a material safety data sheet kept by or known to the employer
indicating that the material may pose a hazard to human health.

(14) Trade secret means any confidential formula, pattern, process, device, or information
or compilation of information that is used in an employer's business and that gives the employer
an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not know or use it.
(d) Preservation of records. (1) Unless a specific occupational safety and health standard
provides a different period of time, each employer shall assure the preservation and retention of
records as follows:
(i) Employee medical records. The medical record for each employee shall be preserved and
maintained for at least the duration of employment plus thirty (30) years, except that the
following types of records need not be retained for any specified period:
(A) Health insurance claims records maintained separately from the employer's medical
program and its records,
(B) First aid records (not including medical histories) of one-time treatment and subsequent
observation of minor scratches, cuts, burns, splinters, and the like which do not involve medical
treatment, loss of consciousness, restriction of work or motion, or transfer to another job, if made
on-site by a non-physician and if maintained separately from the employer's medical program
and its records, and
(C) The medical records of employees who have worked for less than (1) year for the
employer need not be retained beyond the term of employment if they are provided to the
employee upon the termination of employment.
(ii) Employee exposure records. Each employee exposure record shall be preserved and
maintained for at least thirty (30) years, except that:
(A) Background data to environmental (workplace) monitoring or measuring, such as
laboratory reports and worksheets, need only be retained for one (1) year as long as the sampling
results, the collection methodology (sampling plan), a description of the analytical and
mathematical methods used, and a summary of other background data relevant to interpretation
of the results obtained, are retained for at least thirty (30) years; and
(B) Material safety data sheets and paragraph (c)(5)(iv) records concerning the identity of a
substance or agent need not be retained for any specified period as long as some record of the
identity (chemical name if known) of the substance or agent, where it was used, and when it was
used is retained for at least thirty (30) years;1and
1

Material safety data sheets must be kept for those chemicals currently in use that are
effected by the Hazard Communication Standard in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1200(g).
(C) Biological monitoring results designated as exposure records by specific occupational
safety and health standards shall be preserved and maintained as required by the specific
standard.

(iii) Analyses using exposure or medical records. Each analysis using exposure or medial
records shall be preserved and maintained for at least thirty (30) years.
(2) Nothing in this section is intended to mandate the form, manner, or process by which an
employer preserves a record as long as the information contained in the record is preserved and
retrievable, except that chest X-ray films shall be preserved in their original state.
(e) Access to records—(1) General. (i) Whenever an employee or designated representative
requests access to a record, the employer shall assure that access is provided in a reasonable
time, place, and manner. If the employer cannot reasonably provide access to the record within
fifteen (15) working days, the employer shall within the fifteen (15) working days apprise the
employee or designated representative requesting the record of the reason for the delay and the
earliest date when the record can be made available.
(ii) The employer may require of the requester only such information as should be readily
known to the requester and which may be necessary to locate or identify the records being
requested (e.g. dates and locations where the employee worked during the time period in
question).
(iii) Whenever an employee or designated representative requests a copy of a record, the
employer shall assure that either:
(A) A copy of the record is provided without cost to the employee or representative,
(B) The necessary mechanical copying facilities (e.g., photocopying) are made available
without cost to the employee or representative for copying the record, or
(C) The record is loaned to the employee or representative for a reasonable time to enable a
copy to be made.
(iv) In the case of an original X-ray, the employer may restrict access to on-site examination
or make other suitable arrangements for the temporary loan of the X-ray.
(v) Whenever a record has been previously provided without cost to an employee or
designated representative, the employer may charge reasonable, non-discriminatory
administrative costs (i.e., search and copying expenses but not including overhead expenses) for
a request by the employee or designated representative for additional copies of the record, except
that
(A) An employer shall not charge for an initial request for a copy of new information that
has been added to a record which was previously provided; and
(B) An employer shall not charge for an initial request by a recognized or certified
collective bargaining agent for a copy of an employee exposure record or an analysis using
exposure or medical records.

(vi) Nothing in this section is intended to preclude employees and collective bargaining
agents from collectively bargaining to obtain access to information in addition to that available
under this section.
(2) Employee and designated representative access—(i) Employee exposure records. (A)
Except as limited by paragraph (f) of this section, each employer shall, upon request, assure the
access to each employee and designated representative to employee exposure records relevant to
the employee. For the purpose of this section, an exposure record relevant to the employee
consists of:
(1) A record which measures or monitors the amount of a toxic substance or harmful
physical agent to which the employee is or has been exposed;
(2) In the absence of such directly relevant records, such records of other employees with
past or present job duties or working conditions related to or similar to those of the employee to
the extent necessary to reasonably indicate the amount and nature of the toxic substances or
harmful physical agents to which the employee is or has been subjected, and
(3) Exposure records to the extent necessary to reasonably indicate the amount and nature of
the toxic substances or harmful physical agents at workplaces or under working conditions to
which the employee is being assigned or transferred.
(B) Requests by designated representatives for unconsented access to employee exposure
records shall be in writing and shall specify with reasonable particularity:
(1) The records requested to be disclosed; and
(2) The occupational health need for gaining access to these records.
(ii) Employee medical records. (A) Each employer shall, upon request, assure the access of
each employee to employee medical records of which the employee is the subject, except as
provided in paragraph (e)(2)(ii)(D) of this section.
(B) Each employer shall, upon request, assure the access of each designated representative
to the employee medical records of any employee who has given the designated representative
specific written consent. appendix A to this section contains a sample form which may be used to
establish specific written consent for access to employee medical records.
(C) Whenever access to employee medical records is requested, a physician representing the
employer may recommend that the employee or designated representative:
(1) Consult with the physician for the purposes of reviewing and discussing the records
requested,
(2) Accept a summary of material facts and opinions in lieu of the records requested, or

(3) Accept release of the requested records only to a physician or other designated
representative.
(D) Whenever an employee requests access to his or her employee medical records, and a
physician representing the employer believes that direct employee access to information
contained in the records regarding a specific diagnosis of a terminal illness or a psychiatric
condition could be detrimental to the employee's health, the employer may inform the employee
that access will only be provided to a designated representative of the employee having specific
written consent, and deny the employee's request for direct access to this information only.
Where a designated representative with specific written consent requests access to information so
withheld, the employer shall assure the access of the designated representative to this
information, even when it is known that the designated representative will give the information
to the employee.
(E) A physician, nurse, or other responsible health care personnel maintaining medical
records may delete from requested medical records the identity of a family member, personal
friend, or fellow employee who has provided confidential information concerning an employee's
health status.
(iii) Analyses using exposure or medical records. (A) Each employee shall, upon request,
assure the access of each employee and designated representative to each analysis using
exposure or medical records concerning the employee's working conditions or workplace.
(B) Whenever access is requested to an analysis which reports the contents of employee
medical records by either direct identifier (name, address, social security number, payroll
number, etc.) or by information which could reasonably be used under the circumstances
indirectly to identify specific employees (exact age, height, weight, race, sex, date of initial
employment, job title, etc.), the employer shall assure that personal identifiers are removed
before access is provided. If the employer can demonstrate that removal of personal identifiers
from an analysis is not feasible, access to the personally identifiable portions of the analysis need
not be provided.
(3) OSHA access. (i) Each employer shall, upon request, and without derogation of any
rights under the Constitution or the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 651
et seq., that the employer chooses to exercise, assure the prompt access of representatives of the
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health to employee exposure and
medical records and to analyses using exposure or medical records. Rules of agency practice and
procedure governing OSHA access to employee medical records are contained in 29 CFR
1913.10.
(ii) Whenever OSHA seeks access to personally identifiable employee medical information
by presenting to the employer a written access order pursuant to 29 CFR 1913.10(d), the
employer shall prominently post a copy of the written access order and its accompanying cover
letter for at least fifteen (15) working days.

(f) Trade secrets. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (f)(2) of this section, nothing in this
section precludes an employer from deleting from records requested by a health professional,
employee, or designated representative any trade secret data which discloses manufacturing
processes, or discloses the percentage of a chemical substance in mixture, as long as the health
professional, employee, or designated representative is notified that information has been
deleted. Whenever deletion of trade secret information substantially impairs evaluation of the
place where or the time when exposure to a toxic substance or harmful physical agent occurred,
the employer shall provide alternative information which is sufficient to permit the requesting
party to identify where and when exposure occurred.
(2) The employer may withhold the specific chemical identity, including the chemical name
and other specific identification of a toxic substance from a disclosable record provided that:
(i) The claim that the information withheld is a trade secret can be supported;
(ii) All other available information on the properties and effects of the toxic substance is
disclosed;
(iii) The employer informs the requesting party that the specific chemical identity is being
withheld as a trade secret; and
(iv) The specific chemical identity is made available to health professionals, employees and
designated representatives in accordance with the specific applicable provisions of this
paragraph.
(3) Where a treating physician or nurse determines that a medical emergency exists and the
specific chemical identity of a toxic substance is necessary for emergency or first-aid treatment,
the employer shall immediately disclose the specific chemical identity of a trade secret chemical
to the treating physician or nurse, regardless of the existence of a written statement of need or a
confidentiality agreement. The employer may require a written statement of need and
confidentiality agreement, in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs (f)(4) and (f)(5), as
soon as circumstances permit.
(4) In non-emergency situations, an employer shall, upon request, disclose a specific
chemical identity, otherwise permitted to be withheld under paragraph (f)(2) of this section, to a
health professional, employee, or designated representative if:
(i) The request is in writing;
(ii) The request describes with reasonable detail one or more of the following occupational
health needs for the information:
(A) To assess the hazards of the chemicals to which employees will be exposed;
(B) To conduct or assess sampling of the workplace atmosphere to determine employee
exposure levels;

(C) To conduct pre-assignment or periodic medical surveillance of exposed employees;
(D) To provide medical treatment to exposed employees;
(E) To select or assess appropriate personal protective equipment for exposed employees;
(F) To design or assess engineering controls or other protective measures for exposed
employees; and
(G) To conduct studies to determine the health effects of exposure.
(iii) The request explains in detail why the disclosure of the specific chemical identity is
essential and that, in lieu thereof, the disclosure of the following information would not enable
the health professional, employee or designated representative to provide the occupational health
services described in paragraph (f)(4)(ii) of this section:
(A) The properties and effects of the chemical;
(B) Measures for controlling workers' exposure to the chemical;
(C) Methods of monitoring and analyzing worker exposure to the chemical; and,
(D) Methods of diagnosing and treating harmful exposures to the chemical;
(iv) The request includes a description of the procedures to be used to maintain the
confidentiality of the disclosed information; and,
(v) The health professional, employee, or designated representative and the employer or
contractor of the services of the health professional or designated representative agree in a
written confidentiality agreement that the health professional, employee or designated
representative will not use the trade secret information for any purpose other than the health
need(s) asserted and agree not to release the information under any circumstances other than to
OSHA, as provided in paragraph (f)(7) of this section, except as authorized by the terms of the
agreement or by the employer.
(5) The confidentiality agreement authorized by paragraph (f)(4)(iv) of this section:
(i) May restrict the use of the information to the health purposes indicated in the written
statement of need;
(ii) May provide for appropriate legal remedies in the event of a breach of the agreement,
including stipulation of a reasonable pre-estimate of likely damages; and,
(iii) May not include requirements for the posting of a penalty bond.

(6) Nothing in this section is meant to preclude the parties from pursuing non-contractual
remedies to the extent permitted by law.
(7) If the health professional, employee or designated representative receiving the trade
secret information decides that there is a need to disclose it to OSHA, the employer who
provided the information shall be informed by the health professional prior to, or at the same
time as, such disclosure.
(8) If the employer denies a written request for disclosure of a specific chemical identity,
the denial must:
(i) Be provided to the health professional, employee or designated representative within
thirty days of the request;
(ii) Be in writing;
(iii) Include evidence to support the claim that the specific chemical identity is a trade
secret;
(iv) State the specific reasons why the request is being denied; and,
(v) Explain in detail how alternative information may satisfy the specific medical or
occupational health need without revealing the specific chemical identity.
(9) The health professional, employee, or designated representative whose request for
information is denied under paragraph (f)(4) of this section may refer the request and the written
denial of the request to OSHA for consideration.
(10) When a heath professional employee, or designated representative refers a denial to
OSHA under paragraph (f)(9) of this section, OSHA shall consider the evidence to determine if:
(i) The employer has supported the claim that the specific chemical identity is a trade secret;
(ii) The health professional employee, or designated representative has supported the claim
that there is a medical or occupational health need for the information; and
(iii) The health professional, employee or designated representative has demonstrated
adequate means to protect the confidentiality.
(11)(i) If OSHA determines that the specific chemical identity requested under paragraph
(f)(4) of this section is not a bona fide trade secret, or that it is a trade secret but the requesting
health professional, employee or designated representatives has a legitimate medical or
occupational health need for the information, has executed a written confidentiality agreement,
and has shown adequate means for complying with the terms of such agreement, the employer
will be subject to citation by OSHA.

(ii) If an employer demonstrates to OSHA that the execution of a confidentiality agreement
would not provide sufficient protection against the potential harm from the unauthorized
disclosure of a trade secret specific chemical identity, the Assistant Secretary may issue such
orders or impose such additional limitations or conditions upon the disclosure of the requested
chemical information as may be appropriate to assure that the occupational health needs are met
without an undue risk of harm to the employer.
(12) Notwithstanding the existence of a trade secret claim, an employer shall, upon request,
disclose to the Assistant Secretary any information which this section requires the employer to
make available. Where there is a trade secret claim, such claim shall be made no later than at the
time the information is provided to the Assistant Secretary so that suitable determinations of
trade secret status can be made and the necessary protections can be implemented.
(13) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring the disclosure under any
circumstances of process or percentage of mixture information which is trade secret.
(g) Employee information. (1) Upon an employee's first entering into employment, and at
least annually thereafter, each employer shall inform current employees covered by this section
of the following:
(i) The existence, location, and availability of any records covered by this section;
(ii) The person responsible for maintaining and providing access to records; and
(iii) Each employee's rights of access to these records.
(2) Each employer shall keep a copy of this section and its appendices, and make copies
readily available, upon request, to employees. The employer shall also distribute to current
employees any informational materials concerning this section which are made available to the
employer by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
(h) Transfer of records. (1) Whenever an employer is ceasing to do business, the employer
shall transfer all records subject to this section to the successor employer. The successor
employer shall receive and maintain these records.
(2) Whenever an employer is ceasing to do business and there is no successor employer to
receive and maintain the records subject to this standard, the employer shall notify affected
current employees of their rights of access to records at least three (3) months prior to the
cessation of the employer's business.
(i) Appendices. The information contained in appendices A and B to this section is not
intended, by itself, to create any additional obligations not otherwise imposed by this section nor
detract from any existing obligation.
APPENDIX A TO §1910.1020—SAMPLE AUTHORIZATION LETTER FOR THE RELEASE OF EMPLOYEE
MEDICAL RECORD INFORMATION TO A DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE (NON-MANDATORY)

I, _____ (full name of worker/patient), hereby authorize ______ (individual or organization
holding the medical records) to release to ______ (individual or organization authorized to
receive the medical information), the following medical information from my personal medical
records:

(Describe generally the information desired to be released)
I give my permission for this medical information to be used for the following purpose:

but I do not give permission for any other use or re-disclosure of this information.
NOTE: Several extra lines are provided below so that you can place additional restrictions on
this authorization letter if you want to. You may, however, leave these lines blank. On the other
hand, you may want to (1) specify a particular expiration date for this letter (if less than one
year); (2) describe medical information to be created in the future that you intend to be covered
by this authorization letter; or (3) describe portions of the medical information in your records
which you do not intend to be released as a result of this letter.)

Full name of Employee or Legal Representative
Signature of Employee or Legal Representative

Date of Signature
APPENDIX B TO §1910.1020—AVAILABILITY OF NIOSH REGISTRY OF TOXIC EFFECTS OF
CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES (RTECS) (NON-MANDATORY)
The final regulation, 29 CFR 1910.20, applies to all employee exposure and medical
records, and analyses thereof, of employees exposed to toxic substances or harmful physical
agents (paragraph (b)(2)). The term toxic substance or harmful physical agent is defined by
paragraph (c)(13) to encompass chemical substances, biological agents, and physical stresses for
which there is evidence of harmful health effects. The regulation uses the latest printed edition of

the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Registry of Toxic Effects of
Chemical Substances (RTECS) as one of the chief sources of information as to whether evidence
of harmful health effects exists. If a substance is listed in the latest printed RTECS, the
regulation applies to exposure and medical records (and analyses of these records) relevant to
employees exposed to the substance.
It is appropriate to note that the final regulation does not require that employers purchase a
copy of RTECS, and many employers need not consult RTECS to ascertain whether their
employee exposure or medical records are subject to the rule. Employers who do not currently
have the latest printed edition of the NIOSH RTECS, however, may desire to obtain a copy. The
RTECS is issued in an annual printed edition as mandated by section 20(a)(6) of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 669(a)(6)).
The Introduction to the 1980 printed edition describes the RTECS as follows:
“The 1980 edition of the Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, formerly
known as the Toxic Substances list, is the ninth revision prepared in compliance with the
requirements of Section 20(a)(6) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law
91-596). The original list was completed on June 28, 1971, and has been updated annually in
book format. Beginning in October 1977, quarterly revisions have been provided in microfiche.
This edition of the Registry contains 168,096 listings of chemical substances: 45,156 are names
of different chemicals with their associated toxicity data and 122,940 are synonyms. This edition
includes approximately 5,900 new chemical compounds that did not appear in the 1979 Registry.
(p. xi)
“The Registry's purposes are many, and it serves a variety of users. It is a single source
document for basic toxicity information and for other data, such as chemical identifiers ad
information necessary for the preparation of safety directives and hazard evaluations for
chemical substances. The various types of toxic effects linked to literature citations provide
researchers and occupational health scientists with an introduction to the toxicological literature,
making their own review of the toxic hazards of a given substance easier. By presenting data on
the lowest reported doses that produce effects by several routes of entry in various species, the
Registry furnishes valuable information to those responsible for preparing safety data sheets for
chemical substances in the workplace. Chemical and production engineers can use the Registry
to identify the hazards which may be associated with chemical intermediates in the development
of final products, and thus can more readily select substitutes or alternative processes which may
be less hazardous. Some organizations, including health agencies and chemical companies, have
included the NIOSH Registry accession numbers with the listing of chemicals in their files to
reference toxicity information associated with those chemicals. By including foreign language
chemical names, a start has been made toward providing rapid identification of substances
produced in other countries. (p. xi)
“In this edition of the Registry, the editors intend to identify “all known toxic substances”
which may exist in the environment and to provide pertinent data on the toxic effects from
known doses entering an organism by any route described. (p xi)

“It must be reemphasized that the entry of a substance in the Registry does not
automatically mean that it must be avoided. A listing does mean, however, that the substance has
the documented potential of being harmful if misused, and care must be exercised to prevent
tragic consequences. Thus, the Registry lists many substances that are common in everyday life
and are in nearly every household in the United States. One can name a variety of such
dangerous substances: prescription and non-prescription drugs; food additives; pesticide
concentrates, sprays, and dusts; fungicides; herbicides; paints; glazes, dyes; bleaches and other
household cleaning agents; alkalies; and various solvents and diluents. The list is extensive
because chemicals have become an integral part of our existence.”
The RTECS printed edition may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402 (202-783-3238).
Some employers may desire to subscribe to the quarterly update to the RTECS which is
published in a microfiche edition. An annual subscription to the quarterly microfiche may be
purchased from the GPO (Order the “Microfiche Edition, Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical
Substances”). Both the printed edition and the microfiche edition of RTECS are available for
review at many university and public libraries throughout the country. The latest RTECS editions
may also be examined at the OSHA Technical Data Center, Room N2439—Rear, United States
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210 (202-523-9700),
or at any OSHA Regional or Area Office (See, major city telephone directories under United
States Government-Labor Department).
[53 FR 38163, Sept. 29, 1988; 53 FR 49981, Dec. 13, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 24333, June 7,
1989; 55 FR 26431, June 28, 1990; 61 FR 9235, Mar. 7, 1996. Redesignated at 61 FR 31430,
June 20, 1996, as amended at 71 FR 16673, Apr. 3, 2006; 76 FR 33608, June 8, 2011]