The legal regulation of industrial production at any historical stage presents a certain complexity. The modern period is no exception due to the specifics, as well as the scope and limit of ordered social relations. Regulators play an important role in this process, the purpose of which is to minimize risks in the implementation of production activities. A special place is occupied by environmental standards, which were established in the 19th century. It contributed to the protection of the environment during the operation of production facilities and the implementation of potentially dangerous technological operations. It is most important to study the historical experience of the introduction of environmental standards to streamline relations in the industrial sector. The introduction of such regulators at the stage of the active development of industrial production allowed creating conditions for the preservation of the natural environment and laid the principles for the formation of legislation in this area. The purpose of the study is to identify the specifics of regulating the functioning of industrial facilities, to show the importance of environmental standards in regulating such legal relations. To identify the areas to which environmental regulations were directed, as well as the role of these regulators in creating conditions for a favorable environment, minimizing risks from potentially dangerous industries and processes in the Russian Empire of the 19th century. Research methods: analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction, historical method, historical and legal analysis. The regulation of the organization and functioning of industrial facilities in the Russian Empire of the 19th century was also aimed at minimizing the risks from production activities. The introduction of environmental standards in streamlining the placement, construction, and production of certain technological operations has reduced the risks of environmental pollution. The establishment of requirements for obtaining permits to open an industrial establishment formed a measure of proper behavior for potential owners of factories and plants, and on the part of the state, the ability to control this process. The detailed conditions for the placement of industrial facilities, as well as the rules for their construction, have made it possible to reduce environmental risks. The development of rules for specific industries and potentially dangerous production processes laid the foundation for the formation of a balanced legal regulation, which took into account the interests of the state, owners and ordinary workers. The role of environmental standards in the regulation of the industrial sector of the period under study is shown in order to improve the current legislation.