California’s state requirements regarding walking/working surfaces include a substantial amount of regulatory information beyond the federal requirements. Click on the following links to view the applicable regulations.
Walking/Working Surfaces
Citations
California: Title 8, Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 7, Group 1
Federal: 29 CFR 1910.21, .22, .23, .24, .25, .26, .27, .28, .29, and .30
A summary of the additional requirements includes the following:
- Forty-two-inch guardrails are required on open sides of unenclosed elevated work areas more than 30 inches above the floor, ground, or other working areas of a building. Shorter rails are allowed where overhead clearance is low, and alternate protection must be used where guardrails are impracticable.
- Toeboards must be used on platforms, runways, or ramps that are 6 feet or more above where employees work or pass, or if tools, material, or equipment could otherwise fall and create a hazard.
- Exceptions to the guardrail standards are allowed for numerous, specific work environments.
- Permanent yard surface openings such as pits or sumps must be guarded using covers, guardrails, or the equivalent.
- The buildings, structures, foundations, and fastenings of all prime movers, machines, and equipment must be maintained to safely support their loads, without dangerous vibration.
- Crawlways must be at least 24 inches wide and as high as the opening or 30 inches, whichever is greater, with exceptions.
- Where aisles or walkways are required, machinery equipment, parts, and stock must be arranged to provide clear walkways or aisles of at least 24 inches wide and 6 feet 8 inches clear headroom to a safe means of egress from the building.
- Whenever aisles, walkways, or crawlways become slippery, high-friction surfaces, cleats, coverings, or other equivalent protection against slipping must be used. If employees must work on slippery floors, use mats, grates, cleats, or other methods to protect against slipping.
- Aisles designed for the passage of a single industrial vehicle must be at least 2 feet wider than the widest vehicle. Two-way traffic aisles must be at least 3 feet wider than twice the width of the widest vehicle, or must have turnouts.
- If normal clearances present a hazard with the use of industrial vehicles, clearance limit warning signs must be provided.
- Permanent roadways, walkways, and material storage areas in yards must be kept free of dangerous depressions, obstructions, and debris.
- Platforms, runways, ramps, or other elevated working levels that are 30 inches or more above the floor, ground, or other working area must be at least 2 feet wide (18 inches for catwalks) and have at least 6-1/2 feet clear headroom.
- Where the type of operation (except repair and maintenance) is such that employees could be exposed to materials falling through platform or runway openings, the openings must be small enough to prevent materials from falling through. Extra precautions must be taken when platform or runway gratings are used as work areas during repair or maintenance.
- Existing installations with impaired clearances must be well posted to indicate the hazards due to the impaired clearance, and must be guarded by guardrails, barricades, or other means.
- Every shop transfer car and equipment carriage operating on rails, together with their loads, must clear stationary machines, equipment, structures, or piled or stacked material by at least 24 inches.
- Access to every permanent elevated work location must be by means of either fixed ladders, or permanent ramps or stairways.
