Walking-Working Surfaces

OSHA Office of Training and Education

Introduction

 Slips, trips and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents  This discussion covers some of the most frequently occurring serious hazards involving OSHA’s walking working surfaces standards OSHA Office of Training and Education

General Requirements Housekeeping

 All workplaces must be kept clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition  Every workroom floor must be maintained as clean and dry as possible OSHA Office of Training and Education

General Requirements Aisles and Passageways

 Keep clear and in good repair with no obstruction across or in aisles that could create a hazard  Permanent aisles and passageways must be appropriately marked  Aisles must be sufficiently wide where mechanical handling equipment is used OSHA Office of Training and Education

General Requirements Covers and Guardrails

Covers and/or guardrails must be provided to protect employees from the hazards of open pits, tanks, vats, ditches, and the like.

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General Requirements Floor Loading Protection

 Load rating plates must be marked on plates and conspicuously posted  No load must be placed on any floor or roof that is greater than its load rating limit OSHA Office of Training and Education

Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes Definitions

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Floor opening.

An opening measuring 12 inches or more in its least dimension, in any floor, platform, pavement, or yard, through which persons may fall.

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Floor hole.

An opening measuring less than 12 inches but more than 1 inch in its least dimension, in any floor, platform, pavement or yard, through which materials but not persons may fall.

OSHA Office of Training and Education

Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes Definitions (cont’d)

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Wall opening.

An opening at least 30 inches high and 18 inches wide, in any wall or partition, through which persons may fall.

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Wall hole.

An opening less than 30 inches but more than 1 inch high, of unrestricted width, in any wall or partition.

OSHA Office of Training and Education

Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes Definitions (cont’d)

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Standard railing.

Consists of top rail, mid rail, and posts, a vertical height of 42 inches nominal from the upper surface of top rail to floor level. Nominal height of mid rail is 21 inches.



Standard toeboard.

4 inches nominal in vertical height, with not more than ¼-inch clearance above floor level.

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Guarding Stairway Floor Openings

Must be guarded by a standard railing on all exposed sides (except at stairway entrance).

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Guarding Ladderway Floor Openings

 Must be guarded by a standard railing with toeboard on all exposed sides (except at entrance)  Swinging gate or offset required so that a person cannot walk directly into the opening OSHA Office of Training and Education

Guarding Wall Openings

Every wall opening from which there is a drop of more than 4 feet must be guarded.

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Guarding Temporary Floor Openings

Must have standard railings or be constantly attended by someone.

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Guarding Open-Sided Floors and Platforms

 Every open-sided floor or platform 4 feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level must be guarded by a standard railing (or equivalent) on all open sides, except where there is an entrance to a ramp, stairway, or fixed ladder.

 A toeboard is required wherever, beneath the open sides:  Persons can pass,  There is moving machinery, or  There is equipment with which falling materials could create a hazard.

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Guarding Platforms

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Guarding Open-Sided Floors, Walkways, Platforms, and Runways

Regardless of height, open-sided floors, walkways, platforms, or runways above or adjacent to dangerous equipment, pickling or galvanizing tanks, degreasing units, and similar hazards must be guarded with a standard railing and toeboard.

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Guarding Stairways

Every flight of stairs with four or more risers must have standard stair railings or standard handrails.

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Portable Ladders

 Must withdraw defective ladders from service and tag or mark "Dangerous, Do Not Use"  Ladders used to gain access to a roof or other area must extend at least 3 feet above the point of support  Ladders must never be used in a horizontal position as scaffolds or work platforms  Metal ladders must never be used near electrical equipment OSHA Office of Training and Education

Summary

 Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents  They cause 15% of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities  OSHA’s standards for walking and working surfaces apply to all permanent places of employment, except where only domestic, mining, or agricultural work is performed OSHA Office of Training and Education