Regulations for construction

health hazards

29 CFR 1926 Subpart D

1a

Occupational Health and

Environmental Control

Medical Services and First Aid

(29 CFR 1926.50) The employer shall insure the availability of

medical personnel for advice and consultation on matters of occupational health.

Provisions shall be made prior to commencement of the project for prompt medical attention in case of serious injury.

In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician, that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite, which is available for the treatment of injured employees, a person who has a valid certificate in first-aid training that can be verified by documentary evidence, shall be available at the worksite to render first aid.

First aid supplies shall be easily accessible when required, and the contents of the first aid kit shall be placed in weatherproof container with individual sealed packages for each type of item, and shall be checked by the employer before being sent out on each job and at least weekly on each job to ensure that the expended items are replaced.

Proper equipment for prompt transportation of the injured person to a physician or hospital, or a communication system for contacting necessary ambulance service, shall be provided.

The telephone numbers of the physicians, hospitals, or ambulances shall be conspicuously posted.

Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.

Sanitation (29 CFR 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.

b- Non-potable Water:

Outlets for non-potable water, such as water for industrial or firefighting purposes only, shall be identified by signs 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 non-potable water.

Toilets at Construction Jobsites: Toilets shall be provided for employees according to the

following table:

Number of Employees Minimum Number of Facilities

20 or less 1 20 or more 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers 200 or more 1 toilet seat and 1 uniral per 50 workers 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 Re-circulating toilets Combustion toilets

Table D - 1

Number of

Employees

20 or less

20 or more

200 or more

1

1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers

1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 workers

d- Food Handling:

All employees food service facilities and operations shall meet the applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they are located.

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.

e- Temporary Sleeping Quarters:

When temporary sleeping quarters are provided, they shall be heated,

ventilated, and lighted.

f- Washing Facilities: 1. 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.

2. Washing facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary condition.

3. 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, warm air blowers or clean individual sections of continuous cloth toweling, convenient to the lavatories, shall be provided.

4. Showers:

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 shower shall be provided.

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.

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 toxic material.

h- Vermin Control:

1. Every enclosed workplace shall be

constructed, equipped, and maintained,

so far as reasonably practicable, as to

prevent the entrance or harborage of

rodents, insects, and other vermin.

2. A continuing and effective extermination

program shall be instituted where their

presence is detected.

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.

Occupational Noise Exposure

(29 CFR 1926.52): Protection against the effects of noise exposure shall

be provided when the sound levels exceed those shown in the below table on the A-Scale of a standard sound level meter at slow response.

When employees are subjected to sound levels exceeding those listed in the table, feasible administrative or engineering controls shall be utilized, if such controls fail to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table, personal protective equipment shall be provided and used to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table.

If the variations in noise level involve maxima at intervals of one (1) second or less, it is to be considered continuous.

10/1/99 25

What are Our Noise Levels?Duration Per Day, Hours Sound Level dBA

8 90

6 92

4 95

3 97

2 100

1 102

1 105

107

110

115

1. In all cases where the sound levels

exceed the values shown in the above

table, a continuing, effective hearing

conservation program shall be

administered.

(2) When the daily noise exposure is composed of two or more periods of noise exposure of different levels, their combined effect should be considered, rather than the individual effect of each. Exposure to different levels for various periods of time shall be computed according to the following formula:

Fe = (T1 divided by L1) + (T2 divided by L2) + .. + (Tn divided by Ln)

Where: Fe : The equivalent noise exposure factor T : The period of noise exposure at any

essentially constant level

L : The duration of the permissible noiseexposure at the constant level (from the

table)

If the value of Fe exceeds unity (1) the exposure exceeds permissible levels.

Example An employee is exposed at these levels for these

periods:

110 dBA for hour

100 dBA for hour

90 dBA for 1 hour

Fe = ( divided by ) + ( divided by 2) + (1 divided by 8)

Fe = 0.500 + 0.250 + 0.188

Fe = 0.938

Since the value of Fe does not exceed unity (1), the exposure is within permissible limits.

e. Exposure to impulsive or impact noise should

not excedd 140 dB peak sound pressure level.

OSHAOCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

ADMINISTRATION

Subpart D-Occupational Health and Environmental Controls

1926.52 Occupational noise exposure

1926.52(d)(2)(ii)

Fe = (T1/ L1) + (T2/L2 ) + (Tn/Ln)

Where:

Fe = The equivalent noise exposure factor.

T = The period of noise exposure at any essentially

constant level

L = The duration of the permissible noise exposure

at the constant level (from Table D-2).

If the value of Fe exceeds unity (1) the exposure

exceeds permissible levels.

OSHAOCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

ADMINISTRATION

Subpart D-Occupational Health and Environmental Controls

1926.52 Occupational noise exposure

1926.52(d)(2)(iii) A sample computation showing an

application of the formula in paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of

this section is as follows. An employee is exposed at

these levels for these periods:

110 dbA hour.

100 dbA hour.

90 dbA 1 hours.

Fe = (1/4 / ) + (1/2 / 2) + (1 / 8)

Fe = 0.500 + 0.25 + 0.188

Fe = 0.938

The exposure is within permissible limits

Ionization Radiation (29 CFR

1926.53):

In construction and related activities involving the use of source of radiation, the pretinent provisions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Standards for Protection Against Radiation (10 CFR part 20), relating to protection against occupational radiation exposure, shall apply.

Any activity which involves the use of radioactive materials or X-rays, weather or not under licence from the NRC, shall be performed by competent persons specially trained in the proper and safe operation of such equipment. In case of materials used under the Commition license, only persons actually licensed, or competent persons under direction and supervision of the licensee, shall perform such work.

Non-ionozing Radiation (29 CFR

1926.54): Only qualified and trained employees shall

be assigned to install, adjust, and operate laser equipment.

Proof of qualification of the laser equipment operator shall be available and in possession of the operator at all times.

Employees, when working in areas in which a potential exposure to direct or reflected laser light greater than 0.005 watts (5 milli-watts) exists, shall be provided with anti-laser eye protection devices.

Areas in which lasers are used shall be posted with standard laser warning placards.

Beam shutters or caps shall be utilized, or the laser turned off, when laser transmission is not actually required. When the laser is left unattended for a substantial period of time, such as during lunch hour, overnight, or at change of shifts, the laser shall be turned off.

Only mechanical or electronic means shall be used as a detector for guiding the internal alignment of the laser.

The laser beam shall not be directed at employees.

When it is raining or when there is dust or fog in the air, the operation of laser systems shall be prohibited where practicable; in any event, employees shall be kept out of range of the area of source and target during such weather conditions.

Laser equipment shall bear a label to indicate maximum output.

Laser unit in operation should be set up above the heads of the employees, when possible.

Employees shall not be exposed to microwave power densities in excess of 10 milliwatts per square centimeter.

Gases, Vapors, Fumes, Dusts,

and Mists (29 CFR 1926.55):

Exposure of employees to inhalation, ingestion, skin absorption, or contact with any material or substance at a concentration above those specified in the Threshold Limit Values of Airborne Contaminants of the ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) shall be avoided.

To achieve compliance with the above, administrative or engineering controls must first be implemented whenever feasible.

When Such controls are not feasible to achieve full compliance, protective equipment or other protective measures shall be used to keep the exposure of employees to air contaminants within the limits.

Illumination (29 CFR 1926.56):

Construction areas, ramps, runways, corridors, offices, shops, and storage

areas shall be lighted to not less than the

minimum illumination intensities listed in

the following table

Offices

Shops

Storage areas

14b

Illumination

Foot-

Candles

Area or Operation

5 General construction area lighting.

3 General construction areas, concrete placement, excavation and

waste areas, accessways, active storage areas, loading platforms,

refueling, and field maintenance areas.

5 Indoors: warehouses, corridors, hallways, and exitways.

5 Tunnels, shafts, and general underground work areas.

(Exception: minimum of 10 foot-candles is required at tunnel

and shaft heading during drilling, mucking, and scalling.

10 General construction plant and shops (e.g., batch plants,

screening plants, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms,

carpenter shops, rigging lofts and active storerooms, barracks or

living quarters, locker or dressing rooms, mess halls, and indoor

toilets and workrooms)

30 First aid stations, infirmaries, and offices.