Housekeeping

30 CFR 56.20003 and 57.20003

30 CFR 77.205(b) and 77.205(d)

 

56/57.20003 Housekeeping
At all mining operations -

(a) Workplaces, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms shall be kept clean and orderly;

(b) The floor of every workplace shall be maintained in a clean and, so far as possible, dry condition.  Where wet processes are used, drainage shall be maintained, and false floors, platforms, mats, or other dry standing places shall be provided where practicable; and

(c) Every floor, working place, and passageway shall be kept free from protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards, as practicable.

There is no MSHA Policy for this standard.

 

77.205(b) and 77.205(d) Travelways at surface installations

(b) Travelways and platforms or other means of access to areas where persons are required to travel or work, shall be kept clear of all extraneous material and other stumbling or slipping hazards.

(d) Regularly used travelways shall be sanded, salted, or cleared of snow and ice as soon as practicable.

 

There is no MSHA policy for this standard.

 

These standards require that workplaces, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms be kept clean, dry, and orderly.  Where applicable, it also requires drainage, false floors, platforms, or mats for wet processes (metal and nonmetal).  Finally, as practicable, every floor, working place, and passageway is required to be free of nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards (metal and nonmetal).

 

Issues to Consider in Determining Compliance:

·        Was the area one that was listed in the standard?

Ø      Do, or will, personnel work or travel in the area?

·        Was the area clean, orderly, and dry?

Ø      If  safe access, such as a catwalk, was provided, was:

Ø      it free of spilled rock, old screens, hydraulic hose, electrical cable, etc., to prevent slips, trips, and falls?

Ø      the floorboard free of loose boards, protruding nails, splinters, and holes that a miner could stick his or her foot into?

·        Was a wet process used in the area?

Ø      If yes, was drainage, a false floor, platform, a mat, or a dry standing place provided?

 

Other issues covered by related standards:

·        Was safe access, even though not dry, clean, or orderly, provided to all working places?

(56.11001 or 57.11001) – safe access)

(77.205(a) - travelways at surface installations)