These two terms are often discussed on OSHA outreach training courses, but I hardly ever mention them as they are more “legal” terms than safety terms. But this month, MI-OSHA issued guidance to their CSHO’s which I thought did a really nice job explaining what these terms mean and how they are used in issuing citations.
Vertical Standards – Standards that apply to a particular industry or to particular operations, practices, conditions, processes, means, methods, equipment or installations.
Horizontal Standards – Other (more general) standards applicable to multiple industries.