Subpart J
Camps must not be located within 200 feet of swamps, pools, sink holes, or other surface collections of water unless those still water surfaces can be controlled for mosquitoes. Per 1910.142(a)(1), the site must also be adequately drained, not subject to periodic flooding, and graded so water does not collect or endanger any domestic or public water supply.
The principal camp area where food is prepared/served and sleeping quarters are located must be at least 500 feet from any area where livestock is kept. This is required by 1910.142(a)(2) to prevent contamination and overcrowding issues.
Grounds and open areas around shelters must be kept clean and sanitary and free from rubbish, debris, waste paper, garbage, or other refuse. This basic housekeeping requirement is set out in 1910.142(a)(3).
Every shelter must be constructed to provide protection against the elements. That is the minimum requirement in 1910.142(b)(1)—shelters should keep occupants dry, sheltered from wind, and otherwise protect them from weather hazards.
Each room used for sleeping must contain at least 50 square feet of floor space per occupant and have at least a 7-foot ceiling. These minimums are stated in 1910.142(b)(2).
Beds, cots, or bunks must be spaced at least 36 inches laterally and end to end, elevated at least 12 inches from the floor, and triple-deck bunks are prohibited. If double-deck bunks are used they must be spaced at least 48 inches laterally and end to end, and the clear space between lower and upper bunks must be at least 27 inches; see 1910.142(b)(3).
Shelter floors must be wood, asphalt, or concrete and kept in good repair, and wooden floors must be elevated at least 1 foot above ground to prevent dampness and allow air circulation. These requirements are in 1910.142(b)(4) and 1910.142(b)(5).
Yes — in areas subject to extreme low temperatures, employers may 'bank' with earth or other suitable material around outside walls to help insulate shelters. The rule explicitly allows this in 1910.142(b)(6).
Living quarters must have windows with total area at least one-tenth of the floor area and at least half of each window must be openable for ventilation; all exterior openings must be effectively screened with 16-mesh material and screen doors must be self-closing. These provisions are in 1910.142(b)(7) and 1910.142(b)(8).
If workers cook, live, and sleep in the same room, provide at least 100 square feet per person and sanitary facilities for storing and preparing food; in camps with common cooking facilities provide stoves at a ratio of one stove per 10 persons (or one stove per two families) in an enclosed, screened shelter with sanitary food-storage/prep facilities. See 1910.142(b)(9) and 1910.142(b)(10).
Heating, cooking, and water heating equipment must be installed in accordance with applicable State and local codes, and camps used during cold weather must provide adequate heating. This is required by 1910.142(b)(11).
Each camp must provide an adequate and convenient water supply approved by the appropriate health authority, capable of delivering 35 gallons per person per day at a peak rate of 2.5 times average hourly demand, with distribution so no shelter is more than 100 feet from a yard hydrant if water isn't piped to shelters; one or more drinking fountains are required for each 100 occupants where water under pressure is available and common drinking cups are prohibited. These rules are in 1910.142(c)(1), 1910.142(c)(2), 1910.142(c)(3), and 1910.142(c)(4).
Toilet facilities must be adequate for camp capacity, accessible without passing through any sleeping room, have a window at least 6 square feet opening to outside or satisfactory ventilation, be screened with 16-mesh material on outside openings, be located within 200 feet of each sleeping room door, and no privy shall be closer than 100 feet to any sleeping room, dining room, lunch area, or kitchen; shared toilet rooms must be separated by sex. See 1910.142(d)(1), 1910.142(d)(2), 1910.142(d)(3), and 1910.142(d)(4).
Where facilities are shared, provide one water closet or privy seat for each 15 persons of that sex with a minimum of two units; provide urinals at one unit or 2 linear feet of trough per 25 men and make urinal floors moisture-impervious for at least 15 inches from the outward edge; any water closet installed on or after August 31, 1971 must be located in a toilet room. These rules are in 1910.142(d)(5), 1910.142(d)(6), and 1910.142(d)(7).
Toilet rooms must be lighted naturally or by safe artificial lighting at all hours, provide an adequate supply of toilet paper in each compartment, and privies and toilet rooms must be kept sanitary and cleaned at least daily. See 1910.142(d)(8), 1910.142(d)(9), and 1910.142(d)(10).
When public sewers are available, all sewer lines and floor drains from buildings in the camp must be connected to them. This sewage-disposal requirement is stated in 1910.142(e).
Provide a handwash basin per family shelter or per six persons in shared facilities, one shower head for every 10 persons, a laundry tray/tub for every 30 persons, and a slop sink in each building used for laundry/hand-washing/bathing; service buildings must have equipment to maintain at least 70°F during cold weather. These requirements are in 1910.142(f)(1)(i)-(iv) and 1910.142(f)(4).
Service buildings must have an adequate supply of hot and cold running water and facilities for heating water, facilities for drying clothes, and they must be kept clean. Those provisions are in 1910.142(f)(3), 1910.142(f)(5), and 1910.142(f)(6).
Where electric service is available, each habitable room must have at least one ceiling-type light fixture and one separate floor- or wall-type convenience outlet; toilets and storage rooms must have at least 20 foot-candles measured 30 inches from the floor and other rooms (including kitchens and living quarters) at least 30 foot-candles at 30 inches from the floor. See 1910.142(g).
Provide fly-tight, rodent-tight, impervious, cleanable or single-service containers approved by the health authority for garbage; at least one such container must be provided for each family shelter and located within 100 feet on a stand, kept clean, and emptied when full but at least twice a week. These rules are in 1910.142(h)(1), 1910.142(h)(2), and 1910.142(h)(3).
Central dining and food-handling facilities must comply with the U.S. Public Health Service "Food Service Sanitation Manual" Part V (Publication 934), which is incorporated by reference in 1910.6, kitchens/dining halls must be properly constructed and separate from sleeping quarters, and anyone with a communicable disease cannot handle food in camp kitchens. See 1910.142(i)(1), 1910.142(i)(2), and 1910.142(i)(3).
Camps must take effective measures to prevent infestation and harborage of animal or insect vectors or pests. This general duty for pest control is stated in 1910.142(j).
Every labor camp must maintain adequate first-aid facilities approved by a health authority and have them in charge of a person trained to administer first aid who is readily accessible at all times. Those requirements are in 1910.142(k)(1) and 1910.142(k)(2).
The camp superintendent must immediately report the name and address of any person known or suspected to have a communicable disease to the local health officer, and must immediately notify the health authority by fast means (telegram, telephone, email, or similarly fast methods) if there is suspected food poisoning or an unusual prevalence of illness with fever, diarrhea, sore throat, vomiting, or jaundice. See 1910.142(l)(1) and 1910.142(l)(2).
When cooking facilities are used in common, provide stoves at a ratio of one stove for every 10 persons or one stove for every two families in an enclosed and screened shelter, along with sanitary facilities for storing and preparing food, per 1910.142(b)(10).
If water is not piped to shelters, water outlets (yard hydrants) must be distributed so that no shelter is more than 100 feet from a yard hydrant. This distribution requirement is in 1910.142(c)(3).
Provide one shower head for every 10 persons and one laundry tray or tub for every 30 persons. Those minimum ratios are specified in 1910.142(f)(1)(ii) and 1910.142(f)(1)(iii).
Where electric service is available, each habitable room must have at least one ceiling-type light fixture and at least one separate floor- or wall-type convenience outlet; laundry, toilet rooms and rooms where people congregate must also contain at least one ceiling- or wall-type fixture. See 1910.142(g).
When toilets are shared (e.g., in multifamily shelters or barracks), the camp must provide separate toilet rooms for each sex and mark them with signs printed in English and the native language of camp occupants or with easily understood pictures or symbols, as required by 1910.142(d)(4).
At least one approved fly-tight, rodent-tight, impervious container must be provided for each family shelter and located within 100 feet of the shelter on a wooden, metal, or concrete stand, per 1910.142(h)(1).
Camp central dining or multiple-family food-handling facilities must comply with Part V of the U.S. Public Health Service “Food Service Sanitation Manual” (Publication 934), which is incorporated by reference as specified in [1910.6]; this requirement appears in 1910.142(i)(1).