General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

General Requirements for Walking-Working Surfaces

Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05

29 CFR 1910.22

29 CFR 1910.22 sets the general requirements for walking-working surfaces in general industry: all surfaces must be kept clean, orderly, and sanitary, maintained in good repair, and kept free of hazards such as spills, protruding objects, and debris, so that slip, trip, and fall hazards are controlled.

29 CFR 1910.22 at a glance

What it requires: Walking-working surfaces kept clean, orderly, dry, and in good repair
Who it covers: General-industry employers
Core rule: Keep all surfaces in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition (1910.22(a)(1))
Key duty: Maintain surfaces, control spills and debris, and repair damage to prevent slips and trips
Max penalty (2026): $16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 per willful
The #1 confusion: Housekeeping is an enforceable safety requirement, not just tidiness

What 29 CFR 1910.22 requires (plain English)

29 CFR 1910.22 sets the general requirements for walking-working surfaces in general industry: the floors, aisles, platforms, and passageways workers use every day. It is the foundation of Subpart D, and its rules are deceptively simple: keep surfaces clean, orderly, and in good condition so that slip, trip, and fall hazards do not develop.

The standard requires that all places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces be kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition; that surfaces be maintained free of hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice; and that they be maintained with the structural integrity to support the maximum intended loads. Where wet processes are used, drainage and dry standing places are required.

1910.22 underpins the rest of Subpart D: ladders (1910.23), stairways (1910.25), and the duty and criteria for fall protection (1910.28 and 1910.29). It reflects that the most common workplace injuries come not from dramatic hazards but from ordinary surfaces that were allowed to become wet, cluttered, or broken.

What the source requires, in summary

All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces are kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition.

29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1)Summarized, not quoted: read the source for its operative wording.

Key facts about 29 CFR 1910.22

All places of employment and walking-working surfaces must be kept clean, orderly, and sanitary (1910.22(a)(1)).
Surfaces must be maintained free of hazards such as protruding objects, loose boards, spills, and ice.
Surfaces must be maintained to support their maximum intended loads.
Wet processes require drainage and dry standing places.
Slips, trips, and falls on the same level are among the most common workplace injuries.
It is the foundation of Subpart D (walking-working surfaces).
It underpins the ladder, stairway, and fall-protection standards.

Scope: who 29 CFR 1910.22 applies to

Regulatory framework: General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Citation reference: 29 CFR 1910.22
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 1910.22

#	Employer obligation
1	Keep floors clean and dry
2	Mark load limits for floors
3	Provide drainage where wet processes are used
4	Maintain aisles and passageways clear

Summarized from the text of 29 CFR 1910.22. Always read the full regulation for the binding language.

Common Walking-Working Surfaces violations

Deficiencies OSHA cites under 29 CFR 1910.22 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.

Walking-working surfaces not kept clean, orderly, and sanitary (1910.22(a)(1)).
Spills, debris, or protruding objects creating slip and trip hazards (1910.22(a)(2)).
Damaged or deteriorated surfaces not repaired (1910.22(d)).
Surfaces not maintained to support the maximum intended load (1910.22(b)).
Wet processes without drainage or dry standing places (1910.22(a)(2)).

Housekeeping is an enforceable safety rule, not optional tidiness

Employers sometimes treat housekeeping as a matter of appearance rather than compliance. 1910.22(a)(1) makes it a legal requirement: walking-working surfaces must be kept clean, orderly, and sanitary, and free of the spills, debris, protruding objects, and damage that cause slips, trips, and falls. A recurring wet spot, a cluttered aisle, or a broken floorboard is a citable hazard because same-level falls are among the leading causes of serious workplace injury. Maintaining surfaces is not extra credit: it is the baseline the rest of Subpart D builds on.

What OSHA inspectors look for

A compliance officer looks for cluttered aisles, wet or slippery floors without drainage or treatment, holes and damaged flooring, and protruding hazards, and checks that surfaces are maintained and capable of supporting their loads. Housekeeping failures and unrepaired floor damage are the classic findings.

Example: how a violation is cited

A plant leaves a persistent oil leak on a walkway with no cleanup or drainage, and a worker slips and fractures a wrist. OSHA cites 1910.22(a) because walking-working surfaces must be kept clean, orderly, and in a safe condition, with penalties from $16,550.

Illustrative example, not a specific OSHA case.

Walking-Working Surfaces compliance checklist

Use this to evaluate your compliance with 29 CFR 1910.22. Each item is a key requirement OSHA may verify during an inspection.

Keep floors, aisles, and passageways clean, orderly, and free of debris and spills.
Clean up leaks and spills promptly and provide drainage where wet processes are used.
Repair loose boards, holes, corrosion, and other surface damage as it is found.
Keep aisles and walkways clear of protruding objects and stored materials.
Verify surfaces are structurally sound and can support their maximum intended loads.
Make housekeeping a routine, inspected part of operations rather than an occasional cleanup.

2026 penalties for 29 CFR 1910.22

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)

Walking-working-surface citations arise on routine general-industry inspections. Serious violations reach $16,550 and willful or repeat violations $165,514; poor housekeeping and unrepaired surfaces are the usual findings.

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 Walking-Working Surfaces compliance

Slips, trips, and falls on the same level are among the most common causes of workplace injuries, and nearly all trace to a surface that was wet, cluttered, damaged, or poorly maintained. Basic housekeeping and surface maintenance under 1910.22 prevent a large share of general-industry injuries at little cost.

Free compliance tools for 29 CFR 1910.22

Weekly Site Safety Inspection Inspection Action Plan Job Hazard Analysis Builder

Walking-Working Surfaces penalties by state

Penalties and enforcement vary by state. State-Plan states may impose higher penalties and additional requirements beyond federal 29 CFR 1910.22.

Alabama Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia

View all 50 states + DC →

Frequently asked questions about 29 CFR 1910.22

What does 1910.22 require for walking-working surfaces?

Under 1910.22(a)(1), all places of employment, passageways, storerooms, service rooms, and walking-working surfaces must be kept in a clean, orderly, and sanitary condition. Surfaces must also be maintained free of hazards such as spills, debris, protruding objects, loose boards, and ice, kept in good repair, and able to support their maximum intended loads.

Is housekeeping actually an OSHA requirement?

Yes. 1910.22 makes housekeeping enforceable: keeping walking-working surfaces clean, orderly, and free of slip and trip hazards is a legal duty, not just good practice. Because same-level slips, trips, and falls are among the most common causes of serious workplace injury, OSHA cites persistent spills, cluttered aisles, and unrepaired floors under this standard.

What is required where wet processes are used?

Under 1910.22, where wet processes are used, drainage must be maintained and false floors, platforms, mats, or other dry standing places must be provided where practicable, so workers are not forced to stand in water or on continuously wet surfaces. This controls both the slip hazard and the health effects of standing in water.

How does 1910.22 relate to the fall-protection standards?

1910.22 is the foundation of Subpart D (walking-working surfaces), which also contains the ladder standard (1910.23), the stairway standard (1910.25), and the fall-protection duty and criteria (1910.28 and 1910.29). 1910.22 keeps the surfaces themselves safe and maintained, while the other sections address the specific hazards of ladders, stairs, and elevated work.

Regulatory history of 29 CFR 1910.22

1910.22 has been the foundation of general-industry walking-working-surfaces requirements since 1971, and it was updated as part of OSHA's 2016 Walking-Working Surfaces final rule (81 FR 82494), which modernized Subpart D. Its clean-orderly-and-maintained requirement remains the baseline for controlling the slip, trip, and fall hazards that cause so many injuries.

Related glossary terms

Key terms that appear in 29 CFR 1910.22, each with a full plain-English explainer.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Competent Person Fall Protection Hierarchy of Controls

Related guides & articles

OSHA Top 10 Most-Cited Violations 2026 Fall Protection Construction OSHA Guide 2026

Related OSHA standards

29 CFR 1910.25

Stairways (GI)

29 CFR 1910.26

Dockboards

29 CFR 1926.501

Fall Protection

#1 most cited

29 CFR 1910.1200

HazCom / GHS

#2 most cited

Primary sources

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.

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