Walkway Clearance Safety Requirements in Office Environments

This document outlines the safety requirements for walkway clearance in office environments, aiming to prevent accidents and ensure safe passage for all employees and visitors. It addresses key aspects such as minimum width, vertical clearance, maintenance, and protection from hazards, drawing from established safety standards and best practices.

General Requirements

Width

Walkways, docks, and platforms must have sufficient width to allow adequate passage and working areas. Aisles and passageways shall be kept clear to provide for the free and safe movement of material handling equipment or employees [3] [9]

In areas where scaffolds are used, each scaffold platform and walkway shall be at least 18 inches (46 cm) wide. If the employer demonstrates that the platforms and walkways cannot be at least 18 inches (46 cm) wide due to narrow areas, such platforms and walkways shall be as wide as feasible, and employees on those platforms and walkways shall be protected from fall hazards by the use of guardrails and/or personal fall arrest systems. [2] [2]

Vertical Clearance

Vertical clearance above any stair tread to any overhead obstruction must be at least 6 feet, 8 inches (203 cm), measured from the leading edge of the tread [1]

Maintenance and Condition

Floor Maintenance

The flooring of buildings, docks, and passageways shall be kept in good repair. When a hazardous condition develops that cannot be immediately repaired, the area shall be guarded until adequate repairs are made [3]

Walkway Maintenance

Walkways shall be evenly floored and kept in good repair [3]

Nonslip Surfaces

Floors, footwalks, and passageways in the work area around machines or other places where a person is required to stand or walk shall be provided with effective means to minimize slipping [3]

Stairway Requirements

General Stairway Construction

Stairways shall be constructed in accordance with subpart D of this part [4]

Handrails

Stairways shall be provided with a standard handrail on at least one side or on any open side. Where stairs are more than four feet wide there shall be a standard handrail at each side, and where more than eight feet wide, a third standard handrail shall be erected in the center of the stairway [4]

Lighting

All stairways shall be adequately lighted as prescribed in paragraph (c)(9) of this section [4]

Ladder Safety

Fixed Ladder Clearances

The minimum perpendicular clearance between fixed ladder rungs, cleats, and steps, and any obstruction behind the ladder shall be 7 inches (18 cm), except in the case of an elevator pit ladder, for which a minimum perpendicular clearance of 4½ inches (11 cm) is required. The minimum perpendicular clearance between the center line of fixed ladder rungs, cleats, and steps, and any obstruction on the climbing side of the ladder shall be 30 inches (76 cm), except as provided in paragraph (a)(15) of this section. When unavoidable obstructions are encountered, the minimum perpendicular clearance between the centerline of fixed ladder rungs, cleats, and steps, and the obstruction on the climbing side of the ladder may be reduced to 24 inches (61 cm), provided that a deflection device is installed to guide employees around the obstruction. [6] [6] [6]

Mobile Ladder Stands and Platforms

Mobile ladder stands and platforms have a step width of at least 16 inches (41 cm). The steps and platforms of mobile ladder stands and platforms are slip resistant. Mobile ladder stands and platforms are capable of supporting at least four times their maximum intended load. [8] [8] [8]

Fall Protection

General Fall Protection

Each employee on ramps, runways, and other walkways shall be protected from falling 6 feet (1.8 m) or more to lower levels by guardrail systems [5]

Holes

Each employee on walking/working surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levels, by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes. Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from tripping in or stepping into or through holes (including skylights) by covers. Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from objects falling through holes (including skylights) by covers. [5] [5] [5]

Wall Openings

Each employee working on, at, above, or near wall openings (including those with chutes attached) where the outside bottom edge of the wall opening is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels and the inside bottom edge of the wall opening is less than 39 inches (1.0 m) above the walking/working surface, shall be protected from falling by the use of a guardrail system, a safety net system, or a personal fall arrest system. [7]

Falling Objects

When an employee is exposed to falling objects, the employer shall have each employee wear a hard hat and shall implement one of the following measures: Erect toeboards, screens, or guardrail systems to prevent objects from falling from higher levels; or, Erect a canopy structure and keep potential fall objects far enough from the edge of the higher level so that those objects would not go over the edge if they were accidentally displaced; or, Barricade the area to which objects could fall, prohibit employees from entering the barricaded area, and keep objects that may fall far enough away from the edge of a higher level so that those objects would not go over the edge if they were accidentally displaced. [7]

Toeboard Specifications

Toeboards used for falling object protection should be erected along the exposed edge of the overhead walking-working surface for a length sufficient to protect employees below, have a minimum vertical height of 3.5 inches (9 cm) as measured from the top edge of the toeboard to the level of the walking-working surface and should not have more than a 0.25-inch (0.5-cm) clearance or opening above the walking-working surface. [10] [10] [10]

Aisles and Passageways

Clearance and Maintenance

Aisles and passageways shall be kept clear to provide for the free and safe movement of material handling equipment or employees. Such areas shall be kept in good repair. [9]

Excavation Walkways

Walkways shall be provided where employees or equipment are required or permitted to cross over excavations. Guardrails which comply with $1926.502(b) shall be provided where walkways are 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels. [11]

Emergency Exits

Door Requirements

Doors shall not open directly on or block a flight of stairs, and shall swing in the direction of exit travel [4]

Exit Identification

Exits shall be located and identified in a manner that affords ready exit from all work areas [4]

Elevated Walks

Railing Requirements

All elevated walks, runways, or platforms, if 4 feet or more from the floor level, shall be provided with a standard railing except on loading or unloading sides of platforms. If height exceeds 6 feet, a standard toe board also shall be provided to prevent material from rolling or falling off. [3]

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