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Process safety coverage of public flame displays

Summary A consultant asked whether public flame-effects systems were covered by OSHA’s process safety management rule. OSHA said the display operation described was generally outside that rule. It warned that a flame-effects operation near a process already covered by the rule could itself be covered.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1997-05-16-0
Date issued
May 16, 1997
Status
Active
Status last verified October 9, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1910 Process Safety Flammable Materials
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.

May 16, 1997

Mr. Henry Renfrew
Compliance and Response Management, Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Renfrew:

This is in response to your letter of September 25, 1996, regarding the applicability of 29 CFR 1910.119 to public displays of flame effects. Please excuse the delay in our response.

Based on the information that you have provided in your letter, and the exceptions that you noted, it appears that 29 CFR 1910.119 does not apply to the public display of flame effect systems. Please note, however, that if the flame-effect-systems operation takes place within a close proximity to a covered process under 1910.119, then the flame-effects-system operation would also be covered by 1910.119.

Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. If you need further assistance, please contact Alcmene Haloftis of my staff at 202-219-8031.

Sincerely,

John B. Miles, Jr., Director
Directorate of Compliance Programs

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]

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