[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 8]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1926.51]
[Page 27-29]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR
PART 1926_SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION--Table of Contents
Subpart D_Occupational Health and Environmental Controls
Sec. 1926.51 Sanitation.
(a) Potable water. (1) An adequate supply of potable water shall be
provided in all places of employment.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
(4) The common drinking cup is prohibited.
(5) Where single service cups (to be used but once) are supplied,
both a sanitary container for the unused cups and a receptacle for
disposing of the used cups shall be provided.
(6) Potable water means water which meets the quality standards
prescribed in the U.S. Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards,
published in 42 CFR part 72, or water which is approved for drinking
purposes by the State or local authority having jurisdiction.
(b) Nonpotable water. (1) Outlets for nonpotable water, such as
water for industrial or firefighting purposes only, shall be identified
by signs meeting the requirements of subpart G of this part, to indicate
clearly that the water is unsafe and is not to be used for drinking,
washing, or cooking purposes.
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(2) There shall be no cross-connection, open or potential, between a
system furnishing potable water and a system furnishing nonpotable
water.
(c) Toilets at construction jobsites. (1) Toilets shall be provided
for employees according to the following table:
Table D-1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 urinal per
50 workers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) Under temporary field conditions, provisions shall be made to
assure not less than one toilet facility is available.
(3) Job sites, not provided with a sanitary sewer, shall be provided
with one of the following toilet facilities unless prohibited by local
codes:
(i) Privies (where their use will not contaminate ground or surface
water);
(ii) Chemical toilets;
(iii) Recirculating toilets;
(iv) Combustion toilets.
(4) The requirements of this paragraph (c) for sanitation facilities
shall not apply to mobile crews having transportation readily available
to nearby toilet facilities.
(d) Food handling. (1) All employees' food service facilities and
operations shall meet the applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations
of the jurisdictions in which they are located.
(2) 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) General. Washing facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary
condition.
(3) Lavatories. (i) Lavatories shall be made available in all places
of employment. The requirements of this subdivision do not apply to
mobile crews or to normally unattended work locations if employees
working at these locations have transportation readily available to
nearby washing facilities which meet the other requirements of this
paragraph.
(ii) Each lavatory shall be provided with hot and cold running
water, or tepid running water.
(iii) Hand soap or similar cleansing agents shall be provided.
(iv) 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. (i) Whenever showers are required by a particular
standard, the showers shall be provided in accordance with paragraphs
(f)(4) (ii) through (v) of this section.
(ii) 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.
(iii) Body soap or other appropriate cleansing agents convenient to
the showers shall be provided as specified in paragraph (f)(3)(iii) of
this section.
(iv) Showers shall be provided with hot and cold water feeding a
common discharge line.
(v) 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 a
toxic material.
(h) Vermin control. Every enclosed workplace shall be so
constructed, equipped, and maintained, so far as reasonably practicable,
as to prevent the entrance or harborage of rodents, insects, and other
vermin. A continuing and effective extermination program shall be
instituted where their presence is detected.
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(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.
[44 FR 8577, Feb. 9, 1979; 44 FR 20940, Apr. 6, 1979, as amended at 58
FR 35084, June 30, 1993]
