Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

Core Rules

 

Floor Openings, Floor Holes, and Open-sided Floors WAC 296-800-260

For printing

 

Your Responsibility:

To safely guard floor openings, floor holes, and open-sided floors in your workplace

You must:

Guard or cover floor openings and floor holes	WAC 296-800-26005
Protect open-sided floors and platforms	WAC 296-800-26010

 

WAC 296-800-26005

Guard or cover floor openings and floor holes

You must:

(1) Guard stairway floor openings, temporary floor openings and floor holes.

• Protect all stairway floor openings with a railing. The railing must protect all open sides except the stairway entrance side.

• Use a hinged cover and a removable railing where traffic across an infrequently used stairway floor opening prevents the installation of a fixed railing. This removable railing must protect all open sides except the stairway entrance side.
• Protect temporary floor openings by either a railing or by a person who constantly attends the opening.
• Protect exposed floor holes into which a person can accidentally walk by either
• - A railing with a toeboard on all open sides.
• OR
• - A floor hole cover of standard strength and construction that can be hinged in place. When a floor hole cover is not in place, the hole must be protected by a removable railing or constantly attended by someone.
• Provide covers for floor openings. Floor opening covers may be of any material that has a safety factor of four, or is strong enough to hold up to four times the intended load. Covers that do not project more than one inch above the floor level may be used providing all edges are beveled (slanted) to prevent tripping. All hinges, handles, bolts, or other parts of a cover must set flush with the floor or cover surface.

(2) Prevent tools and materials from falling through a floor hole. The floor hole must be protected by a cover that leaves an opening no more than one inch wide and is securely held in place. This applies only to floor holes that persons cannot accidentally walk into on account of fixed machinery, equipment, or walls.

 

WAC 296-800-26010

Protect open-sided floors and platforms

You must:

(1) Guard open-sided floors and platforms.

• Guard open-sided floors and platforms four feet or more above adjacent floor or ground level by a railing. The entrance to a ramp, stairway, or fixed ladder does not need a railing.
• Guard open-sided floors, walkways and platforms above or adjacent to dangerous equipment, pickling or galvanizing tanks, degreasing units, and other similar hazards, regardless of height with a railing and toeboard.

(2) Make sure tools and loose materials are not left on overhead platforms and scaffolds.

Note: Where the guarding rules above do not apply because employees exposure to falls is infrequent (not on a predictable and regular basis), you must comply with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) rules (WAC 296-800-160) or other effective fall protection must be provided. You can find the minimum requirements for standard railings of various types of construction in WAC 296-24-75011.