| ...1910.141(a) 1910.141(a) General. ...1910.141(a)(1) 1910.141(a)(1) Scope. This section applies to permanent places of employment. Definitions applicable to this section. "Nonwater carriage toilet facility," means a toilet facility not connected to a sewer. "Number of employees" means, unless otherwise specified, the maximum number of employees present at any one time on a regular shift. "Personal service room," means a room used for activities not directly connected with the production or service function performed by the establishment. Such activities include, but are not limited to, first-aid, medical services, dressing, showering, toilet use, washing, and eating. "Potable water" means water which meets the quality standards prescribed in the U.S. Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards, published in 42 CFR Part 72, or water which is approved for drinking purposes by the State or local authority having jurisdiction. And the other side of the story is, when you put "NON" in front of a word, it means the opposite. "Toilet facility," means a fixture maintained within a toilet room for the purpose of defecation or urination, or both. "Toilet room," means a room maintained within or on the premises of any place of employment, containing toilet facilities for use by employees. "Toxic material means a material in concentration or amount which exceeds the applicable limit established by a standard, such as 1910.1000 and 1910.1001 or, in the absence of an applicable standard, which is of such toxicity so as to constitute a recognized hazard that is causing or is likely to cause death or serious physical harm. "Urinal" means a toilet facility maintained within a toilet room for the sole purpose of urination. "Water closet" means a toilet facility maintained within a toilet room for the purpose of both defecation and urination and which is flushed with water. "Wet process" means any process or operation in a workroom which normally results in surfaces upon which employees may walk or stand becoming wet. 1910.141(a)(3) Housekeeping. 1910.141(a)(3)(i) All places of employment shall be kept clean to the extent that the nature of the work allows. Now this doesn't mean that you can just let it pile up because it is the nature of the process. You must either change your process or clean it up through out the day as needed. 1910.141(a)(3)(ii) The floor of every workroom shall be maintained, so far as practicable, in a dry condition. Where wet processes are used, drainage shall be maintained and false floors, platforms, mats, or other dry standing places shall be provided, where practicable, or appropriate waterproof footgear shall be provided. I am thirsty and am going to get a drink of potable water, so I will not talk about this one. 1910.141(a)(3)(iii) To facilitate cleaning, every floor, working place, and passageway shall be kept free from protruding nails, splinters, loose boards, and unnecessary holes and openings. Wow, this means that if you have to step over junk and walk on board or pieces of metal, the floor is not clean and you do not have a passageway. What if there was a fire? 1910.141(a)(4) Waste disposal. 1910.141(a)(4)(i) Any receptacle used for putrescible solid or liquid waste or refuse shall be so constructed that it does not leak and may be thoroughly cleaned and maintained in a sanitary condition. Such a receptacle shall be equipped with a solid tight-fitting cover, unless it can be maintained in a sanitary condition without a cover. This requirement does not prohibit the use of receptacles which are designed to permit the maintenance of a sanitary condition without regard to the aforementioned requirements. And if it is dirty, you should keep it from getting that way. ..1910.141(a)(4)(ii) 1910.141(a)(4)(ii) All sweepings, solid or liquid wastes, refuse, and garbage shall be removed in such a manner as to avoid creating a menace to health and as often as necessary or appropriate to maintain the place of employment in a sanitary condition. I have been in some places that need to take the garbage out. 1910.141(a)(5) Vermin control. Every enclosed workplace shall be so constructed, equipped, and maintained, so far as reasonably practicable, as to prevent the entrance or harborage of rodents, insects, and other vermin. A continuing and effective extermination program shall be instituted where their presence is detected. Don't you just hate it when the roaches and rats get in your lunch while you are working? 1910.141(b) Water supply. 1910.141(b)(1) Potable water. 1910.141(b)(1)(i) Potable water shall be provided in all places of employment, for drinking, washing of the person, cooking, washing of foods, washing of cooking or eating utensils, washing of food preparation or processing premises, and personal service rooms. I can't talk now, I am taking a drink of my potable water. 1910.141(b)(1)(ii) [Reserved] I hate it when they waste space like this when I could surely think up something to insert here. 1910.141(b)(1)(iii) Portable drinking water dispensers shall be designed, constructed, and serviced so that sanitary conditions are maintained, shall be capable of being closed, and shall be equipped with a tap. If you are using one of those insulated five gallon coolers with the screw on top, you better not get caught storing your canned or bottled drinks inside of it. 1910.141(b)(1)(iv) [Reserved] More wasted space. ..1910.141(b)(1)(v) 1910.141(b)(1)(v) Open containers such as barrels, pails, or tanks for drinking water from which the water must be dipped or poured, whether or not they are fitted with a cover, are prohibited. Even if you had a cover on the pail, if it did not have a tap at the bottom, you would still have to take the cover off to either dip or pour the water. When the cover is off, those nasty germs in the air, and the germs in your body sweat, dead skin that is constantly falling off your body, ear wax, eye lashes, hair, and even dandruff manage to get in your mouth with the water. 1910.141(b)(1)(vi) A common drinking cup and other common utensils are prohibited. You know what a common drinking cup is. You drank out of the same dipper or cup as your childhood best friend because your mother did not want you to dirty up more dishes for her to have to clean. That was before dishwashers. Older people may remember a dipper. 1910.141(b)(2) Nonpotable water. 1910.141(b)(2)(i) Outlets for nonpotable water, such as water for industrial or firefighting purposes, shall be posted or otherwise marked in a manner that will indicate clearly that the water is unsafe and is not to be used for drinking, washing of the person, cooking, washing of food, washing of cooking or eating utensils, washing of food preparation or processing premises, or personal service rooms, or for washing clothes. If you do not understand this, read it again and again until you do understand it. Would you want to fill your cup with machinery cooling water which contains all types of chemical or water that is full of bacteria. I did not think so. Mark it, says the rule. 1910.141(b)(2)(ii) Construction of nonpotable water systems or systems carrying any other nonpotable substance shall be such as to prevent backflow or backsiphonage into a potable water system. That is why the city makes you have a licensed plumber do these things. ..1910.141(b)(2)(iii) 1910.141(b)(2)(iii) Nonpotable water shall not be used for washing any portion of the person, cooking or eating utensils, or clothing. Nonpotable water may be used for cleaning work premises, other than food processing and preparation premises and personal service rooms: Provided, That this nonpotable water does not contain concentrations of chemicals, fecal coliform, or other substances which could create unsanitary conditions or be harmful to employees. Gross! 1910.141(c) Toilet facilities. 1910.141(c)(1) General. 1910.141(c)(1)(i) Except as otherwise indicated in this paragraph (c)(1)(i), toilet facilities, in toilet rooms separate for each sex, shall be provided in all places of employment in accordance with table J-1 of this section. The number of facilities to be provided for each sex shall be based on the number of employees of that sex for whom the facilities are furnished. Where toilet rooms will be occupied by no more than one person at a time, can be locked from the inside, and contain at least one water closet, separate toilet rooms for each sex need not be provided. Where such single-occupancy rooms have more than one toilet facility, only one such facility in each toilet room shall be counted for the purpose of table J-1.
TABLE J-1
_______________________________________________________________
|
Number of employees | Minimum number of water closets(1)
_______________________|_______________________________________
|
1 to 15 .............. | 1
16 to 35 ..............| 2
36 to 55 ..............| 3
56 to 80 ..............| 4
81 to 110 .............| 5
111 to 150 ............| 6
Over 150 ..............| (2)
_______________________|_______________________________________
Footnote(1) Where toilet facilities will not be used by women,
urinals may be provided instead of water closets, except that the
number of water closets in such cases shall not be reduced to less
than 2/3 of the minimum specified.
Footnote(2) 1 additional fixture for each additional 40 employees.
1910.141(c)(1)(ii) The requirements of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section do not apply to mobile crews or to normally unattended work locations so long as employees working at these locations have transportation immediately available to nearby toilet facilities which meet the other requirements of this subparagraph. 1910.141(c)(1)(iii) The sewage disposal method shall not endanger the health of employees. ..1910.141(c)(2) 1910.141(c)(2) Construction of toilet rooms. 1910.141(c)(2)(i) Each water closet shall occupy a separate compartment with a door and walls or partitions between fixtures sufficiently high to assure privacy. I was once in an employee restroom area where the toilet had partitions between the stalls, but there were no doors on the stalls. Needless to say, I didn't need to use the restroom that badly. 1910.141(d) Washing facilities. 1910.141(d)(1) General. Washing facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary condition. Play it again Sam, keep the sinks and toilets clean. 1910.141(d)(2) Lavatories. 1910.141(d)(2)(i) Lavatories shall be made available in all places of employment. The requirements of this subdivision do not apply to mobile crews or to normally unattended work locations if employees working at these locations have transportation readily available to nearby washing facilities which meet the other requirements of this paragraph. Having a toilet is not enough, you need a place for me to wash my hands. 1910.141(d)(2)(ii) Each lavatory shall be provided with hot and cold running water, or tepid running water. Tepid... I don't see that in the definitions listed above. Tepid water is just slightly warm water. 1910.141(d)(2)(iii) Hand soap or similar cleansing agents shall be provided. How many times have you went to wash your hands and there wasn't any soap around? It makes you think twice before shaking the employees hands now. If there is no soap, what did they do? I think that we should make it a Federal law that we can't shake hands. By the way, did you know that these sub-parts of 29 CFR 1910.141 are Federal laws. 1910.141(d)(2)(iv) Individual hand towels or sections thereof, of cloth or paper, warm air blowers or clean individual sections of continuous cloth toweling, convenient to the lavatories, shall be provided. You cannot put one towel a day out there and let everyone share it. Who knows what the guy that used it last wiped with the towel. Yuck! ..1910.141(d)(3) 1910.141(d)(3) Showers. This is what is next. 1910.141(d)(3)(i) Whenever showers are required by a particular standard, the showers shall be provided in accordance with paragraphs (d)(3)(ii) through (v) of this section. What? We have to read those things? Don't you just hate Roman Numerals? Some guys refer to Roman Numbers as "Super Bowl Numbers." 1910.141(d)(3)(ii) One shower shall be provided for each 10 employees of each sex, or numerical fraction thereof, who are required to shower during the same shift. What, no co-ed showers? Please note that this applies only to employees who are "required to shower during the same shift" by the employer. 1910.141(d)(3)(iii) Body soap or other appropriate cleansing agents convenient to the showers shall be provided as specified in paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of this section. Yuck, more soap. 1910.141(d)(3)(iv) Showers shall be provided with hot and cold water feeding a common discharge line. Notice that they did not say "Tepid water" in this paragraph. 1910.141(d)(3)(v) Employees who use showers shall be provided with individual clean towels. I'll keep quite. 1910.141(e) Change rooms. Whenever employees are required by a particular standard to wear protective clothing because of the possibility of contamination with toxic materials, change rooms equipped with storage facilities for street clothes and separate storage facilities for the protective clothing shall be provided. Don't you love it when the employee wears his toxic clothes home and his wife has to wash them. It saves the company a few dollars each week. ..1910.141(f) 1910.141(f) Clothes drying facilities. Where working clothes are provided by the employer and become wet or are washed between shifts, provision shall be made to insure that such clothing is dry before reuse. Have you ever tried to put on wet clothes? 1910.141(g) Consumption of food and beverages on the premises. 1910.141(g)(1) Application. This paragraph shall apply only where employees are permitted to consume food or beverages, or both, on the premises. 1910.141(g)(2) Eating and drinking areas. No employee shall be allowed to consume food or beverages in a toilet room nor in any area exposed to a toxic material. Why? Because your mother always told you so. Well, that is not the real reason. The real reason is because the restroom is full of germs. How many of you keep your toothbrush in a toothbrush holder in the restroom. If we store a personal hygiene utensil that we insert into our mouths twice a day in the restroom, would it stand to reason that we could carry food or drink in the restroom and eat while we chat at the urinal or toilet? Did you know that when you go "potty", the flushing action of the water is whirling around that water, paper and poopoo that is full of e-coli. This flushing action makes some of those germs to become airborne; that is, the germs are riding the moist air in and around the room. When and where they land depends on how much ventilation is in the room. Pretty soon those germs that took a free ride on the water particles get pulled down by gravity and settle in there new home. That new home could be on your toothbrush, the crackers that you set down in a clean place by the sink, on the lip of that soda pop that you are drinking, and even on the filter of the cigarette you are not supposed to be smoking. (Cigarettes are killers, plus they stink really bad.) These nasty germs are the main reason that we do not want to eat or drink in the restroom. You might also think about asking your spouse, life partner, dad, or mother if you can store your toothbrush in a cleaner place. Let's not forget about the hazard of eating toxic material when you eat in an area that has toxic chemicals or metals. 1910.141(g)(3) Waste disposal containers. Receptacles constructed of smooth, corrosion resistant, easily cleanable, or disposable materials, shall be provided and used for the disposal of waste food. The number, size, and location of such receptacles shall encourage their use and not result in overfilling. They shall be emptied not less frequently than once each working day, unless unused, and shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. Receptacles shall be provided with a solid tight-fitting cover unless sanitary conditions can be maintained without use of a cover. Take the trash out everyday, and make sure the trash can is kept clean. And for goodness sakes, don't let it overflow. 1910.141(g)(4) Sanitary storage. No food or beverages shall be stored in toilet rooms or in an area exposed to a toxic material. Don't store your lunch in the restroom or in an area that has toxic chemicals. Do you store cases of drinks for the vending machines in the restrooms? ..1910.141(h) 1910.141(h) Food handling. All employee food service facilities and operations shall be carried out in accordance with sound hygienic principles. In all places of employment where all or part of the food service is provided, the food dispensed shall be wholesome, free from spoilage, and shall be processed, prepared, handled, and stored in such a manner as to be protected against contamination. Don't you hope that manager's of those franchised food joints where you eat get a chance to read this one? This is a test page... if you read this, please email me by clicking here. | 
