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Safety standards for commercial battery shops

Summary A correspondent asked which OSHA standards applied to battery charging and related safety equipment. OSHA said the industrial-truck battery rule did not govern commercial shops changing vehicle batteries, but general protective equipment, first-aid, and electrical rules could apply when workers faced the relevant hazards. OSHA later struck part of its discussion about home worksites in a 2000 edit.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1994-03-31-2
Date issued
March 31, 1994
Status
Active
Status last verified October 9, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1910 Battery Charging Personal Protective Equipment
Source
View the official document

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About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

March 31, 1994

Mr. Matthew P Caputo
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Caputo:

Thank you for your inquiry of February 2, requesting a copy of the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard requirements for eyewash and shower equipment, personal and other protective equipment, and air circulating fans, used in an automotive battery charging area. We apologize for the delay in our response.

One aspect of your request related to charging batteries in the garage of your home. OSHA is mandated to protect employees only, not the public, or persons that are self-employed. ~~OSHA would not normally have jurisdiction in private homes, but OSHA does have jurisdiction in commercial battery shops.~~ [See OSHA Instruction CPL 2-0.125, Home-Based Worksites, February 25, 2000.]

[This document was edited on 12/22/00 to strike information that no longer reflects current OSHA policy.]

OSHA does not have specific standards for commercial battery shops; however, the standard at 29 CFR 1910.178(g) requires certain precautions to be taken when charging electric batteries of powered industrial trucks. This standard does not apply to commercial battery shops (which change batteries for over-the-road vehicles); however, if there is exposure to hazards such as explosive and/or flammable atmospheres, acid burns or electric shock, other general standards may apply. Some of these other standards are:

  1. 29 CFR 1910.132 General requirements for personal protective equipment,

  2. 29 CFR 1910.133 Eye and face protection,

  3. 29 CFR 1910.151 Medical services and first aid,

  4. 29 CFR 1910.303 General requirements for electrical safety, and

  5. 29 CFR 1910.307 Hazardous locations.

We have enclosed copies of all of the above referenced standards for your information.

We appreciate your interest in employee safety and health. If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

H. Berrien Zettler, Deputy Director
Directorate of Compliance Programs

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