Subpart C - General Safety and Health Provisions
Subpart C provides requirements for accident prevention responsibilities, employee safety training and education, first aid and medical attention, fire protection and prevention, housekeeping, illumination, sanitation, personal protective equipment, acceptable certifications, shipbuilding and ship repairing, access to employee exposure and medical records, means of egress, and employee emergency action plans.
Construction work means work for construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating.
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Special Requirements
Scope: This standard provides general safety and health responsibilities.
Special Requirements: Responsibilities, personal protective equipment, programs, training, competent person, designated employees, locking/tagging, qualified employees, inspections, references other standards
1926.20(b) - Accident prevention responsibilities.
- 1926.20(b)(1) - It shall be the responsibility of the employer to initiate and maintain such programs as may be necessary to comply with this part (1926).
- 1926.20(b)(2) - Such programs shall provide for frequent and regular inspections of the job sites, materials, and equipment to be made by competent persons designated by the employers.
- 1926.20(b)(3) -The use of any machinery, tool, material, or equipment which is not in compliance with any applicable requirement of this part is prohibited. Such machine, tool, material, or equipment shall either be identified as unsafe by tagging or locking the controls to render them inoperable or shall be physically removed from its place of operation.
- 1926.20(b)(4) -The employer shall permit only those employees qualified by training or experience to operate equipment and machinery.
1926.20(f)(1) - Personal protective equipment. Standards in this part requiring the employer to provide personal protective equipment (PPE), including respirators and other types of PPE, because of hazards to employees impose a separate compliance duty with respect to each employee covered by the requirement. The employer must provide PPE to each employee required to use the PPE, and each failure to provide PPE to an employee may be considered a separate violation.
1926.20(f)(2) - Training. Standards in this part requiring training on hazards and related matters, such as standards requiring that employees receive training or that the employer train employees, provide training to employees, or institute or implement a training program, impose a separate compliance duty with respect to each employee covered by the requirement. The employer must train each affected employee in the manner required by the standard, and each failure to train an employee may be considered a separate violation.
Competent person means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Designated person means "authorized person" as defined in paragraph (d) of this section.
Authorized person means a person approved or assigned by the employer to perform a specific type of duty or duties or to be at a specific location or locations at the jobsite.
Scope: This standard provides the basic training and education requirements for construction.
Special Requirements: Training, safety and health training programs, instruct, first aid procedures, personal protective measures, references other standards
1926.21(b) - Employer responsibility.
- 1926.21(b)(1) - The employer should avail himself of the safety and health training programs the Secretary provides. [Reference paragraph (a).]
- 1926.21(b)(2) - The employer shall instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his work environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury.
- 1926.21(b)(3) - Employees required to handle or use poisons, caustics, and other harmful substances shall be instructed regarding the safe handling and use, and be made aware of the potential hazards, personal hygiene, and personal protective measures required.
- 1926.21(b)(4) - In job site areas where harmful plants or animals are present, employees who may be exposed shall be instructed regarding the potential hazards, and how to avoid injury, and the first aid procedures to be used in the event of injury.
- 1926.21(b)(5) - Employees required to handle or use flammable liquids, gases, or toxic materials shall be instructed in the safe handling and use of these materials and made aware of the specific requirements contained in subpart D - occupational health and environmental controls, subpart F - fire protection and prevention, and other applicable subparts of this part 1926.
Scope: This standard provides general information for first aid and medical attention.
Special Requirements: First aid services, references other standards
First aid services and provisions for medical care shall be made available by the employer for every employee covered by these regulations. Regulations prescribing specific requirements for first aid, medical attention, and emergency facilities are contained in subpart D - occupational health and environmental controls of this part.
Scope: This standard provides general information on fire protection and prevention.
Special Requirements: Fire protection and prevention program, references other standards
The employer shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of an effective fire protection and prevention program at the job site throughout all phases of the construction, repair, alteration, or demolition work. The employer shall ensure the availability of the fire protection and suppression equipment required by subpart F - fire protection and prevention of this part.
Scope: This standard provides general housekeeping requirements.
Special Requirements: Disposal intervals
1926.25(b) - Combustible scrap and debris shall be removed at regular intervals during the course of construction. Safe means shall be provided to facilitate such removal.
1926.25(c) - 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.
Scope: This standard provides general illumination requirements.
Special Requirements: References other standards
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. The minimum illumination requirements for work areas are contained in subpart D - occupational health and environmental controls of this part.
Scope: This standard provides general information on personal protective equipment.
Special Requirements: Personal protective equipment, references other standards
1926.28(b) - Regulations governing the use, selection, and maintenance of personal protective and lifesaving equipment are described under subpart E - personal protective and life saving equipment of this part 1926.
Scope: This standard provides certifications that are acceptable under other rules.
Special Requirements: Certifications, inspections, tests, regulatory authority, references other standards
1926.29(a) - Pressure vessels. Current and valid certification by an insurance company or regulatory authority shall be deemed as acceptable evidence of safe installation, inspection, and testing of pressure vessels provided by the employer.
1926.29(b) - Boilers. Boilers provided by the employer shall be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this part when evidence of current and valid certification by an insurance company or regulatory authority attesting to the safe installation, inspection, and testing is presented.
1926.29(c) - Other requirements. Regulations prescribing specific requirements for other types of pressure vessels and similar equipment are contained in subpart F - fire protection and prevention and subpart O - motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations of this part.
Scope: This standard provides general information for shipbuilding and repairing.
Special Requirements: References other standards
1926.30(b) - Applicable safety and health standards. For the purpose of work carried out under this section, the safety and health regulations in part 1915 of this title, Shipyard Employment, shall apply.
Scope: This standard provides general information for access to medical and exposure records.
Special Requirements: References other standards
Note: The requirements applicable to construction work under this section are identical to those set forth at 1910.1020 - Access to employee exposure and medical records of this chapter (29 CFR).
Scope: This standard provides general information pertaining to means of egress.
Special Requirements: Markings, provisions, signs, supervisory personnel
1926.34(a) - General. In every building or structure exits shall be so arranged and maintained as to provide free and unobstructed egress from all parts of the building or structure at all times when it is occupied. No lock or fastening to prevent free escape from the inside of any building shall be installed except in mental, penal, or corrective institutions where supervisory personnel is continually on duty and effective provisions are made to remove occupants in case of fire or other emergency.
1926.34(b) - Exit marking. Exits shall be marked by a readily visible sign. Access to exits shall be marked by readily visible signs in all cases where the exit or way to reach it is not immediately visible to the occupants.
Scope: This standard provides requirements for emergency action plans.
Special Requirements: Emergency action plan (written), procedures, designated actions, duties, assignments, names/titles, alarm system, communication, training, reporting, distinctive signal, plan review, fire brigade, references other standards
1926.35(a) - Scope and application. This section applies to all emergency action plans required by a particular OSHA standard. The emergency action plan shall be in writing (except as provided in the last sentence of paragraph (e)(3) of this section) and shall cover those designated actions employers and employees must take to ensure employee safety from fire and other emergencies.
1926.35(b) - Elements. The following elements, at a minimum, shall be included in the plan:
- 1926.35(b)(1) - Emergency escape procedures and emergency escape route assignments;
- 1926.35(b)(2) - Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate;
- 1926.35(b)(3) - Procedures to account for all employees after emergency evacuation has been completed;
- 1926.35(b)(4) - Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them;
- 1926.35(b)(5) - The preferred means of reporting fires and other emergencies; and
- 1926.35(b)(6) - Names or regular job titles of persons or departments who can be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan.
1926.35(c)(1) - The employer shall establish an employee alarm system which complies with 1926.159 [Standard removed].
1926.35(c)(2) - If the employee alarm system is used for alerting fire brigade members, or for other purposes, a distinctive signal for each purpose shall be used.
1926.35(d) - Evacuation. The employer shall establish in the emergency action plan the types of evacuation to be used in emergency circumstances.
1926.35(e)(1) - Before implementing the emergency action plan, the employer shall designate and train a sufficient number of persons to assist in the safe and orderly emergency evacuation of employees.
1926.35(e)(2) - The employer shall review the plan with each employee covered by the plan at the following times: [Reference paragraph (e)(2)(i) - (iii)].
1926.35(e)(3) - The employer shall review with each employee upon initial assignment those parts of the plan which the employee must know to protect the employee in the event of an emergency. The written plan shall be kept at the workplace and made available for employee review. For those employers with 10 or fewer employees the plan may be communicated orally to employees and the employer need not maintain a written plan.