Regulations for construction

health hazards
29 CFR 1926 Subpart D


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 nonpotable 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

1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers

200 or more

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.

What are Our Noise Levels?

10/1/99

Duration Per Day, Hours

Sound Level dBA

90

92

95

97

100

1
1

102

107

115

105

110
25

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 noise

exposure 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.

OSHA

OCCUPATIONAL 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.

OSHA

OCCUPATIONAL 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 milliwatts) exists, shall be provided with antilaser 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

Illumination
Offices
Shops
Storage
areas

FootCandles

Area or Operation

General construction area lighting.

General construction areas, concrete placement, excavation and

waste areas, accessways, active storage areas, loading platforms,
refueling, and field maintenance areas.

Indoors: warehouses, corridors, hallways, and exitways.

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.