OSHA Law 1342.13b: Is It Real? Fake Rule Explained

No. “OSHA Law 1342.13b” is not a real regulation. It is the number on a joke notice that says solid waste over 6 inches must be lowered into the toilet by hand to prevent “chemical splashback”. Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which holds OSHA’s rules, has no Part 1342, so there is nothing for “1342.13b” to point to.

What the notice says

The notice appears on novelty stickers and posters, and in social media posts. The wording varies, but the gist is that any solid waste longer than 6 inches must be hand-lowered into the toilet bowl to prevent chemical splashback. It is written in the style of a workplace safety sign, which is the joke.

Table of Contents

The earliest dated evidence we found is from August 2023. A multi-pack of the stickers on Amazon lists 19 August 2023 as its date first available, and a Reddit post using the text is dated 28 August 2023. Some commenters claim the notice is much older, such as graffiti from an industrial site. We found no dated source for that, so we do not treat it as fact.

Why it cannot be a real OSHA rule

There is no Part 1342. OSHA’s standards are in 29 CFR Parts 1900 to 1999. We checked the eCFR on 31 October 2026 and no Part 1342 exists in that chapter. A citation such as “1342.13b” would have to be a section of that part.
OSHA does not write “laws”. Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. OSHA issues standards under it, and they are published as regulations in the CFR. Real citations look like 29 CFR 1910.141, which is the part, a dot and the section.
The subject is wrong. We found no OSHA standard that tells workers how to handle solid waste in a toilet, and we found nothing in its sanitation rules about “chemical splashback”.

How to check any OSHA “law” you are shown

Look up the part. Standards for general industry are in Part 1910, construction in Part 1926 and recordkeeping in Part 1904. If the number does not start with a real part, it is not a standard.
Search the number on osha.gov or the eCFR. A real standard appears in the results, with the text and the date of the last change.
Read the text. A real standard has a scope, definitions and requirements. A joke notice has none of these.

What OSHA actually says about toilets

The general industry sanitation rule is 29 CFR 1910.141. Employers must provide toilet facilities in the numbers in Table J-1, and they must be kept clean:

Employees	Minimum number of water closets
1 to 15	1
16 to 35	2
36 to 55	3
56 to 80	4
81 to 110	5
111 to 150	6
Over 150	1 more for each 40 additional employees

The same section requires workplaces to be kept clean as far as the work allows, and does not allow food or drink to be consumed in toilet rooms. Construction sites have their own rule in 29 CFR 1926.51: at least one toilet for 20 or fewer workers, and above that one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers (per 50 workers once there are 200 or more). Counts, access and cleanliness are what OSHA’s toilet rules actually regulate.

How real OSHA citations work

When OSHA inspects and finds a violation of a real standard, the process is set out in 29 CFR Part 1903, Inspections, Citations and Proposed Penalties. OSHA’s penalties page, which we checked on 31 October 2026, lists maximums of $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation, and says the amounts are adjusted every year. The page itself shows more than one date, so check it for the current figures.

Many employers must also keep injury and illness records under Part 1904. See TRIR calculation for how those records turn into a rate.

Using joke signs at work

A joke sticker has no legal force, and nobody can be cited for ignoring it. At work, it can still cause trouble if it looks official next to real warnings, because people may stop reading the signs. Keep gag notices away from real safety signs, and see types of safety signs for what real signs look like. For help setting up proper toilet and hygiene arrangements, see HSE management system documents.

Questions about OSHA Law 1342.13b

Is OSHA Law 1342.13b real?

No. There is no Part 1342 in OSHA’s regulations in Title 29 of the CFR, and no OSHA standard says what the notice says.

Who invented OSHA Law 1342.13b?

The author is unknown. The earliest dated evidence we found is from August 2023, and we found no verifiable source for earlier claims.

Is there a real OSHA rule on toilets?

Yes. For general industry it is 29 CFR 1910.141, and for construction it is 29 CFR 1926.51.

What does 13(b) mean in the number?

Nothing. Real OSHA citations use a part, a section and sometimes a paragraph letter, such as 1910.141(c). The “13b” in the notice is just part of the joke.

Can I get fined for putting the sticker up?

The sticker itself is not regulated by a rule that we know of. Your employer may have its own rules about what goes on the walls.

Sources (checked 31 October 2026)

This page is about a joke notice and the real rules around it. It is not legal advice.

OSHA Law 1342.13b: Is It Real? The Fake Rule Explained