Consensus standard description.

• A. A federal regulation
• B. A company policy
• C. An established norm used by OSHA to determine accepted work practices
• D. A voluntary industry guideline

Answer: (C)

Consensus standards are formally developed guidelines created through a structured process that involves input from multiple stakeholders, resulting in broad agreement on practices commonly accepted in the industry. They provide a widely recognized benchmark for safe and compliant work methods. OSHA uses these established norms to determine what constitutes accepted work practices, especially when a specific regulation doesn’t spell out exact methods. This makes them the practical standard OSHA relies on to judge compliance.

They are not federal regulations, which are laws enacted by government authorities. They are not merely a company policy, which is internal and can vary between organizations. While many consensus standards are voluntary, their formal development and broad industry acceptance give them the authority OSHA uses to evaluate safety practices.