1926.25 Housekeeping

1. 1926.25 Housekeeping • During the course of construction, alteration, or repairs, form and scrap lumber with protruding nails, and all other debris, shall be kept cleared from work areas, passageways, and stairs, in and around buildings or other structures. • Combustible scrap and debris shall be removed at regular intervals during the course of construction. Safe means shall be provided to facilitate such removal. • Containers shall be provided for the collection and separation of waste, trash, oily and used rags, and other refuse. • Containers used for garbage and other oily, flammable, or hazardous wastes, such as caustics, acids, harmful dusts, etc. shall be equipped with covers. • Garbage and other waste shall be disposed of at frequent and regular intervals.

2. Illumination 1926.26 and 1926.56 • Construction areas, aisles, stairs, ramps, runways, corridors, offices, shops, and storage areas where work is in progress shall be lighted with either natural or artificial illumination. • For areas or operations not covered in the table, refer to the American National Standard A11.1-1965, R1970, Practice for Industrial Lighting, for recommended values of illumination.

3. 1926.27 Sanitation • Health and sanitation requirements for drinking water are contained in Subpart D. • Sanitation issues covered by OSHA include: • Toilets • Drinking water • Food handling • Eating and drinking

4. 1926.51 (a) Potable water • An adequate supply of potable water shall be provided in all places of employment. • Portable containers used to dispense drinking water shall be capable of being tightly closed, and equipped with a tap. • Water shall not be dipped from containers. • Any container used to distribute drinking water shall be clearly marked as to the nature of its contents and not used for any other purpose. • The common drinking cup is prohibited. • Where single service cups (to be used but once) are supplied, both a sanitary container for the unused cups and a receptacle for disposing of the used cups shall be provided. • Potable water means water that meets the standards for drinking purposes of the State or local authority having jurisdiction, or water that meets the quality standards prescribed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR part 141).

5. 1926.51 (b) Nonpotable water • Outlets for nonpotable water, such as water for industrial or firefighting purposes only, shall be identified by signage to indicate clearly that the water is unsafe and is not to be used for drinking, washing, or cooking purposes. • There shall be no cross-connection, open or potential, between a system furnishing potable water and a system furnishing nonpotable water.

6. 1926.51(c) Toilets at construction jobsites. • The number of toilets provided shall meet the OSHA standards based upon the number of employees at the site. • Under temporary field conditions, provisions shall be made to assure not less than one toilet facility is available. • Job sites, not provided with a sanitary sewer, shall be provided with one of the following toilet facilities unless prohibited by local codes: • Privies (where their use will not contaminate ground or surface water); • Chemical toilets; • Recirculating toilets; • Combustion toilets. • The requirements of the OSHA standards do not apply to mobile crews having transportation readily available to nearby toilet facilities.

7. 1926.51(d) Food handling • All employees' food service facilities and operations shall meet the applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations. • All employee food service facilities and operations shall be carried out in accordance with sound hygienic principles. • In all places of employment where all or part of the food service is provided, the food dispensed shall be wholesome, free from spoilage, and shall be processed, prepared, handled, and stored in such a manner as to be protected against contamination.

8. 1926.51(e) Temporary sleeping quarters. • When temporary sleeping quarters are provided, they shall be heated, ventilated, and lighted.

9. 1926.51(f) Washing facilities • The employer shall provide adequate washing facilities for employees engaged in the application of paints, coating, herbicides, or insecticides, or in other operations where contaminants may be harmful to the employees. • Such facilities shall be in near proximity to the worksite and shall be so equipped as to enable employees to remove such substances.

10. 1926.51(f) General Requirements • Washing facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary condition. • Lavatories shall be made available in all places of employment. • Each lavatory shall be provided with hot and cold running water, or tepid running water. • Hand soap or similar cleansing agents shall be provided. • Individual hand towels or sections thereof, of cloth or paper, air blowers or clean individual sections of continuous cloth toweling, convenient to the lavatories, shall be provided. • Whenever showers are required by a particular OSHA standard, the showers shall meet the OSHA standards. • One shower shall be provided for each 10 employees of each sex, or numerical fraction thereof, who are required to shower during the same shift. • Body soap or other appropriate cleansing agents convenient to the showers shall be provided as specified • Showers shall be provided with hot and cold water feeding a common discharge line. • Employees who use showers shall be provided with individual clean towels.

11. 1926.51(g) Eating and drinking areas. • No employee shall be allowed to consume food or beverages in a toilet room nor in any area exposed to a toxic material. • Every enclosed workplace shall be so constructed, equipped, and maintained, so far as reasonably practicable, as to prevent the entrance or harborage of rodents, insects, and other vermin. • A continuing and effective extermination program shall be instituted where their presence is detected.

12. 1926.51(i) Change rooms. • Whenever employees are required by a particular standard to wear protective clothing because of the possibility of contamination with toxic materials, change rooms equipped with storage facilities for street clothes and separate storage facilities for the protective clothing shall be provided.