Walking-working surface requirements

Employers must ensure all work areas and walking-working surfaces are routinely kept clean, orderly, and sanitary so they do not create slip, trip, or health hazards. See 1910.22(a)(1).

• Clean and orderly means removing trash, debris, loose materials, and tools from floors and passageways.
• Sanitary includes reasonable housekeeping to prevent contamination or biological hazards (for example, prompt clean-up of bodily-fluid spills in workplaces where that is a risk).
• Practical steps: set a daily or shift housekeeping procedure, assign responsibilities, and inspect regularly under 1910.22(d)(1).

Employers must keep workroom floors as dry as feasible and, when wet processes are used, provide drainage and dry standing places such as false floors, platforms, or mats where practicable. See 1910.22(a)(2).

• If a process makes the floor wet, keep drainage working and place dry mats or platforms at work stations and walkways.
• Use anti-slip coatings or mats in high-moisture areas and maintain them.
• Inspect wet-area controls regularly per 1910.22(d)(1).

Employers must maintain walking-working surfaces free of hazards like sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice. See 1910.22(a)(3).

• Remove or repair protruding nails, broken boards, or corroded metal immediately.
• Clean spills promptly and control leaks; if you cannot repair immediately, follow 1910.22(d)(2) to guard or block the area until it’s safe.
• For snow and ice, clear or treat surfaces before use or prevent access until cleared.

Each walking-working surface must be capable of supporting the maximum weight that will be placed on it during normal operations without failing. See 1910.22(b).

• Determine anticipated loads (people, tools, stored materials, equipment) and ensure the structure and floor rating accommodate that weight.
• Mark load limits where appropriate and avoid stacking or staging that exceeds the design capacity.
• If structural repairs or load rating changes are needed, use a qualified person to assess and supervise repairs.

A safe means of access and egress is any route (stairs, fixed ladders, ramps, platforms, or other devices) that allows employees to get to and from walking-working surfaces without undue risk of injury. See 1910.22(c).

• The access should be stable, unobstructed, and appropriate for the task (for example, using an approved stair or mobile ladder platform).
• For specific platform and mobile ladder requirements, employers should follow OSHA guidance on mobile ladder stand platforms when applicable.
• Employers must ensure employees actually use the provided safe access, not unsafe shortcuts.

Walking-working surfaces must be inspected regularly and as necessary to ensure they remain in a safe condition; employers decide the inspection frequency based on workplace hazards. See 1910.22(d)(1).

• High-traffic, wet, or corrosive environments need more frequent checks (daily or per shift); low-risk areas might be weekly or monthly.
• Assign inspections to trained employees or safety personnel and document inspections and corrective actions.
• Use inspection checklists that include surface condition, slip hazards, load capacity, and access/egress.

No. If a hazard cannot be corrected immediately, the employer must guard the hazardous walking-working surface to prevent employee use; simple signage alone is not an adequate substitute. See 1910.22(d)(2).

• Guarding can include physical barriers, temporary covers, locked gates, or rerouting traffic away from the hazard.
• If the guarded area must be used briefly, provide equivalent safeguards and supervision until repairs are made.

When a correction or repair involves the structural integrity of the walking-working surface, a qualified person must perform or supervise the work. See 1910.22(d)(3).

• Structural integrity repairs include fixing or replacing support beams, decking, joists, load-bearing platforms, or other elements that maintain load capacity.
• A "qualified person" is someone with recognized training, experience, or credentials who can identify hazards, specify proper repair methods, and verify the repair restores structural safety.
• Keep records of who qualified the person and what actions they took.

Yes—employers must maintain walking-working surfaces free of hazards like snow and ice; if you cannot clear them immediately, you must prevent employee use until the surface is safe. See 1910.22(a)(3) and 1910.22(d)(2).

• For roofs and elevated surfaces, consider the guidance in OSHA's letter about fall protection on low slope roofs (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-06-06-1) when planning safe work near edges.
• Use salt, sand, shoveling, or mechanical removal as appropriate, and block access to hazardous areas until treated.

An employer must clean up the spill promptly or, if cleanup cannot be immediate, guard the affected area to prevent employee use until it is safe. See 1910.22(a)(3) and 1910.22(d)(2).

• Determine whether the spilled material requires special PPE or hazardous-material procedures; if so, use those procedures.
• For routine non-hazardous spills, use absorbents and warning signs and reopen the area only after it is dry and safe.

Yes—OSHA recognizes dry standing places such as false floors, platforms, and mats as acceptable measures to provide dry work areas when wet processes are used. See 1910.22(a)(2).

• Mats and platforms should be slip-resistant, maintained free of damage, and replaced when worn.
• Ensure mats do not create trip hazards at their edges—secure them or bevel edges as needed.

Stair width for places of employment must be measured between vertical barriers and handrails are not considered vertical barriers or obstructions to minimum width. See 1910.22(c) and OSHA's stair-width guidance at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-10-17.

• OSHA considers the required minimum stair width measured between walls, guardrails, or other vertical barriers; handrails do not reduce that required width.
• For specific stair standards (e.g., standard stair requirements), consult the applicable stair standards referenced in the stair-width guidance.

The employer is responsible for ensuring each walking-working surface can support the maximum intended load for that surface. See 1910.22(b).

• Responsibility includes engineering evaluation, following manufacturer load ratings, or consulting a qualified person when load capacity is uncertain.
• If loads or uses change, re-evaluate the surface and post limits or reinforce the surface as necessary.

Yes—inspections should occur after severe weather or storms because such events may create new hazards (water intrusion, debris, ice, corrosion) that affect surface safety; inspections must be regular and done as necessary. See 1910.22(d)(1) and 1910.22(a)(3).

• After storms check drainage, flooring, roof edges, and exterior walkways for damage and hazards.
• Document findings and correct hazards per 1910.22(d)(2).

Only if the temporary guarding fully prevents exposure to the hazard and the guarding is suitable to keep employees safe until proper repair is completed; otherwise the surface must remain off-limits. See 1910.22(d)(2).

• Guards should be physical barriers or controls, not just warning signs.
• If work must proceed in the area, provide alternative safe access or engineering controls and supervision until repairs are completed.

Repairs affecting structural integrity include actions such as replacing joists, support beams, load-bearing decking, or major floor framing that change the surface's load-carrying capability; these must be performed or supervised by a qualified person. See 1910.22(d)(3).

• Examples: welding or replacing steel floor plates, repairing concrete slabs with new support, or modifying floor openings.
• The qualified person should verify the repair restores the design capacity and document the inspection and approval before the area is returned to service.

Yes—storerooms and passageways are explicitly included; employers must keep them clean, orderly, and free of obstructions to provide safe walking-working surfaces. See 1910.22(a)(1).

• Keep aisles clear of stored materials, mark storage areas, and maintain stable stacking to prevent collapse or spills.
• Ensure adequate lighting and maintain floor surfaces to avoid trip hazards; inspect per 1910.22(d)(1).

Access and egress to roofs or elevated surfaces must be safe, unobstructed, and appropriate for the work; employers should evaluate risks and provide fall-protective measures or safe routes as needed. See 1910.22(c).

• For low-slope roofs or similar tasks, consult OSHA's fall-protection guidance for roofs (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-06-06-1) to determine when fall protection or other controls are required.
• Ensure ladders, stairs, or platforms used for access meet applicable OSHA requirements and are secured and maintained.

Employers must remove or repair corrosion and leaks that create hazards on walking-working surfaces, or guard the area to prevent employee use until repairs are made. See 1910.22(a)(3) and 1910.22(d)(2).

• For leaks that create slippery conditions, stop the leak and clean the surface immediately; if immediate repair is impossible, close or guard the area.
• For corrosion that undermines structural integrity, involve a qualified person per 1910.22(d)(3) to evaluate and supervise repairs.