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General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Temporary Labor Camps
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
29 CFR 1910.142
29 CFR 1910.142 sets the basic health and sanitation standards for temporary labor camps: employer-provided housing for workers, common in agriculture and some remote operations. It covers site selection and drainage, adequate shelter, a safe drinking-water supply, toilet and washing facilities, sewage disposal, garbage handling, food service, and insect and rodent control, so that housing provided to workers does not become a source of disease.
29 CFR 1910.142 at a glance
What it covers
Employer-provided temporary labor camps (housing for workers)
Site
Well-drained, not flood-prone, away from mosquito-breeding water
Basics
Shelter, potable water, toilets, washing, and sewage disposal
Sanitation
Garbage handling, food service, and insect and rodent control
Who it applies to
Employers who house workers, common in agriculture
Max penalty (2026)
$16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 per willful
What 29 CFR 1910.142 requires (plain English)
29 CFR 1910.142 establishes the health and sanitation standards for temporary labor camps: housing that an employer provides for workers, most commonly in agriculture but also in some construction and remote operations. Its purpose is to ensure that employer-provided housing meets basic public-health requirements.
The standard begins with the site: all sites used for camps must be adequately drained, not subject to periodic flooding, and not located within 200 feet of swamps, pools, sink holes, or other surface water unless that water can be subjected to mosquito control. It then sets requirements for shelter (space per occupant, floors, windows, heating), a safe and adequate drinking-water supply, toilet facilities (in required ratios), washing and bathing facilities, laundry facilities, sewage disposal, garbage and refuse handling, food-handling and kitchen sanitation where food is served, insect and rodent control, first aid, and reporting of communicable disease.
1910.142 applies whenever an employer provides temporary housing to workers, and it is often enforced alongside other agencies' migrant-housing rules. Because a housed workforce shares water, sanitation, and living space, deficiencies spread illness quickly, so the standard's water, toilet, sewage, and pest-control minimums are the front line of protecting workers' health where they live.
The regulatory text
“All sites used for camps shall be adequately drained. They shall not be subject to periodic flooding, nor located within 200 feet of swamps, pools, sink holes, or other surface collections of water unless such quiescent water surfaces can be subjected to mosquito control measures.”
29 CFR 1910.142(a)(1)
Key facts about 29 CFR 1910.142
1910.142 sets health and sanitation standards for temporary labor camps (1910.142(a)(1)).
Camp sites must be well-drained and not flood-prone.
Sites must be kept away from mosquito-breeding surface water (or it must be controlled).
Shelter, potable water, toilets, and washing facilities are required.
Sewage disposal, garbage handling, and food-service sanitation are covered.
Insect and rodent control and communicable-disease reporting are required.
It applies whenever an employer provides housing to workers.
Scope: who 29 CFR 1910.142 applies to
Regulatory framework
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Citation reference
29 CFR 1910.142
Enforcement status
In force and enforced
Jurisdiction
Federal OSHA (29 State-Plan jurisdictions may be stricter)
State-Plan states (e.g. California, Washington, Michigan) operate OSHA-approved programs that must be at least as effective as federal OSHA and frequently impose higher penalties or additional requirements. Confirm the rule as adopted in your state.
Key requirements of 29 CFR 1910.142
#
Employer obligation
1
Provide adequate shelter from elements
2
Supply potable water
3
Provide toilet and bathing facilities
4
Maintain proper sewage disposal
5
Ensure adequate lighting and ventilation
Summarized from the text of 29 CFR 1910.142. Always read the full regulation for the binding language.
Common Temporary Labor Camps violations
Deficiencies OSHA cites under 29 CFR 1910.142 include the ones below, in no particular order. Distinct deficiencies can be cited as separate items, and each serious item carries up to $16,550 (2026). Broader per-instance stacking exists but is a discretionary, case-by-case OSHA enforcement policy, not an automatic multiplier.
Camp site poorly drained, flood-prone, or near uncontrolled mosquito-breeding water (1910.142(a)).
Inadequate or non-potable drinking-water supply (1910.142(c)).
Too few or unsanitary toilet facilities (1910.142(d)).
Inadequate sewage disposal or garbage handling (1910.142(e)/(h)).
No insect and rodent control (1910.142(j)).
If an employer houses workers, health standards apply: it is not "just housing"
Employers sometimes treat worker housing as an amenity outside OSHA's reach. It is not. 1910.142 applies whenever an employer provides a temporary labor camp, housing for its workers, and it imposes specific PUBLIC-HEALTH requirements: adequate site drainage and separation from mosquito-breeding water, sufficient shelter space, a potable water supply, toilets in required ratios, washing and sewage facilities, garbage control, food-service sanitation, and insect and rodent control. A housed workforce shares these systems, so a shortfall (too few toilets, non-potable water, standing water, poor sewage) spreads disease through the camp quickly. Providing the housing triggers the duty to meet these standards; it is not an optional courtesy.
What OSHA inspectors look for
A compliance officer inspecting a labor camp checks site drainage and location, the condition and space of the shelters, a potable water supply, the number and condition of toilets and washing facilities, sewage and garbage handling, food-service sanitation, and insect and rodent control. Inadequate sanitation, water, or toilet facilities are the classic findings.
Example: how a violation is cited
A labor camp houses workers with too few toilets, no potable water supply meeting the requirements, and standing water breeding mosquitoes near the site. OSHA cites 1910.142 for the sanitation, water, and site-drainage violations, with penalties from $16,550.
Illustrative example, not a specific OSHA case.
Temporary Labor Camps compliance checklist
Use this to evaluate your compliance with 29 CFR 1910.142. Each item is a key requirement OSHA may verify during an inspection.
Select a well-drained camp site away from flood risk and mosquito-breeding water.
Provide adequate shelter space, flooring, windows, and heating.
Provide a safe, adequate potable water supply.
Provide toilets in the required ratios plus washing and bathing facilities.
Provide sewage disposal, garbage handling, and food-service sanitation.
Implement insect and rodent control and communicable-disease reporting.
2026 penalties for 29 CFR 1910.142
Maximums set by 29 CFR 1903.15(d). 2026 amounts unchanged from 2025 (no CPI adjustment; OMB M-26-11). Not an increase. The 2025 OSHA penalty levels remain in effect for 2026; OSHA made no inflation adjustment for 2026. 29 CFR 1903.15 identifies January 15, 2025 as the effective reference for these amounts, while OSHA's public penalties page currently references penalties assessed after Jan. 15, 2026.
Violation type
Minimum
Maximum
When it applies
Serious
$1,085
$16,550
Substantial probability of death or serious physical harm.
Other-Than-Serious
$0
$16,550
Relates to safety/health but unlikely to cause death or serious harm.
Willful
$11,823
$165,514
Intentional, knowing, or voluntary disregard of the requirement.
Repeated
$4,256
$165,514
A substantially similar violation cited within the last 5 years.
Failure to Abate
None
$16,550/day
up to $16,550 per day; total capped at 30x the daily amount (FOM Ch.6)
Labor-camp sanitation violations are cited in inspections of employer-provided housing. Serious violations reach $16,550 and willful or repeat violations $165,514.
Maximums and the willful minimum are set by 29 CFR 1903.15(d); the serious and repeated minimums are OSHA policy floors from its annual penalty adjustment memo. OSHA applies gravity-based and size, good-faith and history reductions (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch.6). Estimates only, not legal advice.
The business case for Temporary Labor Camps compliance
When an employer houses its workers, the camp's sanitation directly determines whether the workforce stays healthy: inadequate water, toilets, sewage, or pest control spreads gastrointestinal and vector-borne disease through a housed population fast. 1910.142 sets the minimum health standards for that housing (drainage, shelter, water, toilets, sewage, garbage, and pest control) so employer-provided camps protect rather than sicken the workers living in them.
1910.142 sets the health and sanitation standards for temporary labor camps: employer-provided worker housing, most common in agriculture. It covers site drainage and location, shelter, a potable water supply, toilet and washing facilities, sewage disposal, garbage handling, food-service sanitation, and insect and rodent control.
When do the labor-camp standards apply?
1910.142 applies whenever an employer provides a temporary labor camp: housing for its workers. Providing the housing triggers the duty to meet the sanitation, water, shelter, toilet, sewage, and pest-control requirements. It is most often enforced in agriculture but applies to any employer-provided temporary worker housing.
What are the site requirements for a labor camp?
Under 1910.142(a), camp sites must be adequately drained, not subject to periodic flooding, and not located within 200 feet of swamps, pools, sink holes, or other surface water unless that water can be subjected to mosquito control. Good drainage and separation from mosquito-breeding water reduce disease risk for the housed workers.
How many toilets does a labor camp need?
1910.142 requires toilet facilities in specified ratios to the number of persons housed (with separate facilities for each sex), kept in sanitary condition. The exact numbers scale with occupancy. Along with the potable water, washing, and sewage requirements, adequate toilets are central to preventing the spread of disease in a housed workforce.
Regulatory history of 29 CFR 1910.142
The temporary labor camps standard (1910.142) was adopted from established public-health standards (the U.S. Public Health Service and consensus housing standards) when OSHA began in 1971. It remains the baseline OSHA health standard for employer-provided worker housing, frequently applied in agriculture alongside other migrant-housing regulations.
Related glossary terms
Key terms that appear in 29 CFR 1910.142, each with a full plain-English explainer.
OSHA figures on this page are imported from HazComFast's verified regulatory module (verified 2026-10-05 against eCFR, OSHA.gov, and the Federal Register).
This page is an educational summary, not legal advice. OSHA standards and penalty amounts change; confirm requirements against the current regulation and your applicable State-Plan before acting.
Get the Binder in Order Before the Inspector Arrives. Are You Ready?
OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.