Equipment and tool requirements

Under 1926.702(a)(1), bulk cement storage bins, containers, and silos must have conical or tapered bottoms and mechanical or pneumatic means to start the flow of material.

• Required features are spelled out in 1926.702(a)(1) and its subparagraphs: 1926.702(a)(1)(i) (conical/tapered bottoms) and 1926.702(a)(1)(ii) (mechanical or pneumatic starters).

Why this matters: these features reduce the need for manual intervention and lower the risk that material will bridge or hang up, which can lead to hazardous manual entry or attempts to free the material.

Under 1926.702(a)(2), no employee may enter storage facilities unless the ejection system has been shut down, locked out, and tagged to indicate the system is not to be operated.

• This means the ejection system must be de-energized and controlled with lockout/tagout before anyone goes inside; see 1926.702(a)(2).
• Use of clear tags is reinforced by the lockout/tagout wording requirement in 1926.702(j)(2) (tags should read “Do Not Start” or similar).

Under 1926.702(b), concrete mixers with one cubic yard (0.8 m3) or larger loading skips must be equipped with a mechanical device to clear the skip and guardrails installed on each side of the skip.

• See 1926.702(b) and its specific requirements at 1926.702(b)(1) and 1926.702(b)(2).

Practical tip: confirm skip capacity before assuming these provisions apply—the rule is triggered at one cubic yard or larger.

Under 1926.702(c), manually guided powered and rotating concrete troweling machines must have a control switch that automatically shuts off power whenever the operator's hands are removed from the equipment handles.

• This requirement is in 1926.702(c).

Practical point: the switch must be reliable and regularly tested so the machine cannot run without the operator’s hands on the handles.

Under 1926.702(d), concrete buggy handles shall not extend beyond the wheels on either side of the buggy.

• See the specific requirement at 1926.702(d).

Reason: limiting handle extension reduces the chance of the handles striking objects or persons and improves stability during movement.

Under 1926.702(e), concrete pumping systems using discharge pipes must have pipe supports designed for 100 percent overload, and compressed air hoses used on those systems must have positive fail-safe joint connectors to prevent separation when pressurized.

• See 1926.702(e)(1) for pipe-support design and 1926.702(e)(2) for hose connectors.

Practical note: “100 percent overload” means supports must be designed to reliably carry the expected load without failure; document design specs and inspection records when practicable.

Under 1926.702(f)(1)–(2), concrete buckets with hydraulic or pneumatic gates must have positive safety latches or similar devices to prevent premature or accidental dumping, and buckets must be designed to prevent concrete from hanging up on the top and sides.

• See 1926.702(f)(1) and 1926.702(f)(2).

Why this matters: positive latches reduce the risk of unplanned release during hoisting, and designs that prevent hang-up reduce the need for workers to clear hardened concrete in hazardous positions.

Under 1926.702(g), sections of tremies and similar concrete conveyances must be secured with wire rope (or equivalent materials) in addition to the regular couplings or connections.

• See 1926.702(g).

Practical implication: backup securing (wire rope or equivalent) provides redundancy against coupling failures; inspect both the coupling and the backup securing method before use.

Under 1926.702(h), bull float handles that might contact energized electrical conductors must be constructed of nonconductive material or insulated with a nonconductive sheath that provides equivalent electrical and mechanical protection.

• See 1926.702(h).

Practical guidance: assess the electrical hazard and either use nonconductive handles or verify the sheath's electrical insulating properties; performing a hazard assessment before work can help select appropriate insulating materials (see OSHA's PPE hazard-assessment interpretation at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-03-28).

Under 1926.702(i)(1)–(2), masonry saws must be guarded with a semicircular enclosure over the blade, and the design of that enclosure must incorporate a method for retaining blade fragments.

• See the masonry saw requirements at 1926.702(i)(1) and the blade-fragment retention requirement at 1926.702(i)(2).

Practical examples: retention methods include robust enclosures and fragment-retention liners or backstops; ensure guards are intact and properly attached before operation.

Under 1926.702(j)(1)–(2), no employee may perform maintenance or repair where inadvertent operation could cause injury unless all potentially hazardous energy sources have been locked out and tagged, and tags must read “Do Not Start” or similar language indicating the equipment is not to be operated.

• See 1926.702(j)(1) (lockout/tagout requirement) and 1926.702(j)(2) (tag wording).

Practical tip: combine physical locks with a legible tag that includes the reason for the lockout, the name of the person who applied it, and a date where practicable.

Under 1926.702(b), the mechanical device to clear the skip and guardrails on each side of the skip are required only for concrete mixers with loading skips of one cubic yard (0.8 m3) or larger.

• See the threshold and requirements at 1926.702(b) and its subparagraphs 1926.702(b)(1) and 1926.702(b)(2).

Practical advice: verify skip capacity per the manufacturer or site documentation to determine whether these protections are required.

Under 1926.702(c), the automatic shutoff control protects operators and bystanders by cutting power whenever the operator’s hands are removed from the handles, preventing runaway rotation or uncontrolled movement.

• See the machine control requirement at 1926.702(c).

Practical checks: make sure the switch responds immediately when hands are removed and include the control in routine pre-use inspections.

Under 1926.702(f)(1), yes—concrete buckets equipped with hydraulic or pneumatic gates must have positive safety latches or similar safety devices installed to prevent premature or accidental dumping, regardless of whether the gate is remotely or locally controlled.

• The requirement is stated at 1926.702(f)(1).

Practical point: remote control does not eliminate the need for mechanical or positive safety backups that prevent accidental discharge during lift or positioning.

Under 1926.702(e)(1), the rule requires that pipe supports for concrete pumping systems be designed to carry the full expected load without failure—that is, supports must be sized and installed to handle the load conditions they will experience.

• See the requirement at 1926.702(e)(1).

Practical application: document the supports’ rated capacity and inspect them before pumping; involve a qualified person or follow manufacturer engineering guidance to confirm supports are adequate for the expected load and dynamic forces.

Under 1926.702(i)(2), the masonry saw’s semicircular enclosure must be designed so that, if the blade breaks, fragments will be retained inside the guard rather than ejected toward the operator or bystanders.

• See the blade-fragment retention requirement at 1926.702(i)(2).

Examples (non-mandatory): heavy-duty guard construction, fragment-retention liners, or internal backing plates are commonly used design features—verify the saw’s guarding matches manufacturer guidance and is in good repair.

Under 1926.702(h), an employer must ensure that a bull float handle insulated with a nonconductive sheath provides electrical and mechanical characteristics equivalent to a handle constructed entirely of nonconductive material.

• The basic requirement appears in 1926.702(h).

Practical steps: perform a hazard assessment to evaluate electrical exposure and confirm the sheath’s insulating properties and mechanical durability—OSHA’s PPE hazard-assessment interpretation explains the employer’s obligation to assess hazards and select appropriate protective equipment (see https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-03-28).

Under 1926.702(j)(1), an employer must ensure that all potentially hazardous energy sources have been locked out and tagged before permitting employees to perform maintenance or repair on equipment where inadvertent operation could cause injury.

• See the lockout/tagout mandate at 1926.702(j)(1) and the tag wording requirement at 1926.702(j)(2).

Practical reminder: include isolation of electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and stored-energy sources and use durable tags that clearly state the equipment is not to be operated.