Does "Subpart D - Walking-Working Surfaces" Apply to You?
The answer to this question, for most employers, is yes as most employers have a walking and working surface. In scope and definitions of subpart D, a walking-working surface is defined as any horizontal or vertical surface on or through which an employee walks, works, or gains access to a work area or workplace location. This includes ladders, step bolts, manhole steps, scaffolds, stairways, dockboards, rope descent systems, and other walking and working surfaces. It also includes requirements for fall protection, fall protection systems, and falling object protection.
If you have a walking and working surface as defined above, review the general requirements standard and then click on each tab that relates to a walking and working surface in your workplace to see if it applies to you.
The general requirements standard within subpart D provides requirements for floor loading, housekeeping, access and egress, along with requirements for inspections, maintenance, and repair.
More information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for walking and working surfaces.
Subpart D - Walking-Working Surfaces
If the answer is yes, then the standard on ladders applies to you. It covers all ladders, except when the ladder is used in emergency operations such as firefighting, rescue, and tactical law enforcement operations, or training for these operations; or designed into or is an integral part of machines or equipment. It provides general requirements (i.e., defective ladders tagged, inspections, one hand grasp), along with specific requirements for portable ladders, fixed ladders, mobile ladder stands and mobile ladder stand platforms.
The criteria and practice requirements for fixed ladders with cages, wells and platforms are provided in the standard on fall protection systems and falling object protection-criteria and practices.
You also need to comply with the standard regarding training requirements. It requires specific training in the proper care, inspection, storage, and use of equipment covered by subpart D before an employee uses the equipment. It also includes requirements pertaining to fall hazards, procedures to follow, use of protection systems, equipment hazards, and when to retrain.
More information on ladders can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for walking and working surfaces.
If the answer to this question is yes, then you need to comply with the standard on step bolts and manhole steps. It provides general requirements (i.e., construction, design, load) for step bolts and general requirements for manhole steps (i.e., construction, uniformity).
By definition, a step bolt (pole step) means a bolt or rung attached at intervals along a structural member used for foot placement and as a handhold when climbing or standing and manhole steps means steps that are individually attached to, or set into, the wall of a manhole structure.
More information on step bolts and manhole steps can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for walking and working surfaces.
If the answer to this question is yes as most employers have stairways, then the standard on stairways applies to you. This standard covers all stairways (including standard, spiral, ship, and alternating tread-type stairs), except for stairs serving floating roof tanks, stairs on scaffolds, stairs designed into machines or equipment, and stairs on self-propelled motorized equipment. It provides general requirements (i.e., vertical clearance, riser heights, tread depths), along with specific requirements for standard stairs, spiral stairs, ship stairs, and alternating tread-type stairs.
It also references that requirements for handrails, stair rail systems, and guardrail systems are found in the standard on duty to have fall protection and falling object protection.
By definition, stairway (stairs) means risers and treads that connect one level with another, and includes any landings and platforms in between those levels. Stairways include standard, spiral, alternating tread-type, and ship stairs.
More information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for walking and working surfaces.
If the answer to this question is yes for either of them, then the standard for scaffolds and rope descent systems applies to you. It provides the requirements for rope descent systems including anchorages and use. This standard also requires that scaffolds used in general industry must meet the requirements of subpart L, scaffolds, in the construction standards.
Scaffold is defined as any temporary elevated or suspended platform and its supporting structure, including anchorage points, used to support employees, equipment, materials, and other items. For purposes of this subpart, a scaffold does not include a crane-suspended or derrick-suspended personnel platform or a rope descent system. Note: Scissorlifts meet the definition of scaffolds and fall under the requirements for scaffolds even when used for interior building maintenance.
It also covers rope descent systems that meet the following definition, "A suspension system that allows an employee to descend in a controlled manner and, as needed, stop at any point during the descent." A rope descent system usually consists of a roof anchorage, support rope, a descent device, carabiner(s) or shackle(s), and a chair (seatboard). It is also called controlled descent equipment or apparatus. Rope descent systems do not include industrial rope access systems.
You also need to comply with the standard regarding training requirements. It requires specific training in the proper care, inspection, storage, and use of equipment covered by subpart D before an employee uses the equipment. It specifically requires the employer to train each employee who uses a rope descent system in proper rigging and use of the equipment.
More information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics pages for walking and working surfaces and scaffolds.
If the answer is yes, then the standard on duty to have fall protection and falling object protection applies to you. This standard requires employers to provide protection for each employee exposed to fall and falling object hazards. It provides requirements for using or having guardrail systems, safety net systems, travel restraint systems, personal fall arrest systems and requirements for designated areas to protect the employee from falling or being hit by falling objects.
This standard does not apply:
- To portable ladders;
- When employers are inspecting, investigating, or assessing workplace conditions or work to be performed prior to the start of work or after all work has been completed. This exemption does not apply when fall protection systems or equipment, meeting the requirements of fall protection systems and falling object protection-criteria and practices, have been installed and are available for workers to use for pre-work and postwork inspections, investigations, or assessments;
- To fall hazards presented by the exposed perimeters of entertainment stages and the exposed perimeters of rail-station platforms;
- To powered platforms covered by powered platforms for building maintenance, paragraph (j) - personal fall protection;
- To aerial lifts covered by vehicle-mounted elevating and rotating work platforms, paragraph (c)(2)(v);
- To telecommunications work covered by telecommunications, paragraph (n)(7) and (8); and
- To electric power generation, transmission, and distribution work covered by electric power generation, transmission, and distribution, paragraph (g)(2)(i).
Note: When the employer can demonstrate that it is not feasible or creates a greater hazard to use guardrail, safety net, or personal fall protection systems on residential roofs, the employer must develop and implement a fall protection plan that meets the requirements of the construction standard, fall protection systems criteria and practices, paragraph (k) and training that meets the requirements of the construction standard, training requirements, paragraph (a) and (c).
The criteria and practice requirements for handrails, stairrail systems, guardrail systems, fixed ladders with cages, wells and platforms, and outdoor advertising operations are provided in the standard on fall protection systems and falling object protection-criteria and practices. This standard also requires that safety net systems meet the requirements of subpart M - fall protection in the construction standards.
The requirements pertaining to personal fall protection systems can be found in the standard on personal fall protection systems, in subpart I - personal protective equipment. This standard establishes performance, care, and use criteria for all personal fall protection systems.
If you use fall protection systems, you also need to comply with the standard regarding training requirements. It requires specific training requirements pertaining to fall hazards, procedures to follow, use of protection systems, equipment hazards, and when to retrain.
More information on fall protection can be found on the A-Z safety and health topic pages for walking and working surfaces and fall protection.
If the answer to this question is yes, then you need to comply with the requirements for dockboards. It includes requirements pertaining to load, construction, anchoring, and safe handling.
Dockboard means a portable or fixed device that spans a gap or compensates for a difference in elevation between a loading platform and a transport vehicle. Dockboards include, but are not limited to, bridge plates, dock plates, and dock levelers.
You also need to comply with the standard regarding training requirements. It requires specific training in the proper care, inspection, storage, and use of equipment covered by subpart D before an employee uses the equipment. It specifically requires the employer to train each employee who uses a dockboard to properly place and secure it to prevent unintentional movement.
More information on fall protection in general industry can be found on the A-Z safety and health topics page for walking and working surfaces.