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Page last reviewed: 05/15/2007
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Walking/Working Surfaces

Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. They cause 15% of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. The OSHA standards for walking/working surfaces apply to all permanent places of employment, except where only domestic, mining, or agricultural work is performed.

Walking/working surfaces are addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, longshoring, and the construction industry.

OSHA Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, the Regulatory Agenda (a list of actions being taken with regard to OSHA standards), directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to walking/working surfaces.

Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

  • 1915 Subpart E, Scaffolds, ladders and other working surfaces
    • 1915.71, Scaffolds or staging
    • 1915.72, Ladders
    • 1915.73, Guarding of deck openings and edges
    • 1915.74, Access to vessels
    • 1915.75, Access to and guarding of dry docks and marine railways
    • 1915.76, Access to cargo spaces and confined spaces
    • 1915.77, Working surfaces

Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)

Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

Regulatory Agenda

Directives

Standard Interpretations

Hazards and Solutions

There are many situations that may cause slips, trips, and falls, such as ice, wet spots, grease, polished floors, loose flooring or carpeting, uneven walking surfaces, clutter, electrical cords, open desk drawers and filing cabinets, and damaged ladder steps. The controls needed to prevent these hazards are usually obvious, but too often ignored, such as keeping walkways and stairs clear of scrap and debris; coiling up extension cords, lines, and hoses when not in use; keeping electrical and other wires out of the way; wearing lug soles in icy weather; clearing parking lots, stairs, and walkways in snowy weather; and using salt/sand as needed. The following references provide information on walking/working surfaces hazards and prevention.

Hazard Evaluation

The following reference provides information regarding how to identify and evaluate hazards involving walking/working surfaces.

  • Construction. OSHA eTool. A Spanish version is also available. Helps workers identify and control the hazards that cause the most serious construction-related injuries.

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

Training

Other Resources


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