OSHA's dipping and coating regulations apply to facilities that use dip tanks for cleaning, coating, altering the surface of an object, or changing the character of an object with some kind of liquid chemical. Examples include paint dipping, electroplating, pickling, quenching, tanning, degreasing, stripping, cleaning, roll coating, flow coating, and curtain coating.

The rules specify the coverage of the standard and definitions used (29 CFR 1910.123), general requirements for these operations (1910.124), additional requirements for operations that use flammable or combustible liquids (1910.125), and additional requirements for special operations, such as hardening and tempering tanks; flow coating, roll coating, or roll impregnating operations; vapor degreasing tanks; cyanide tanks; spray cleaning or spray degreasing tanks; and electrostatic paint detearing.