Construction (29 CFR 1926)

Barricades (Construction) — removed 2019, now 1926.200(g)

29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019)

29 CFR 1926.202 no longer exists as a standalone section. OSHA removed it, together with 1926.203, in the Standards Improvement Project-Phase IV final rule (84 FR 21416, May 14, 2019, effective July 15, 2019) because it duplicated the revised 1926.200(g). Today the rule that governs construction barricades is 29 CFR 1926.200(g): at points of hazard, construction areas must be posted with legible traffic control signs and protected by traffic control devices (g)(1), and the design and use of all traffic control devices (signs, signals, markings, barricades and other devices) for the protection of construction workers must conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD (g)(2). A citation written today names 1926.200(g), not 1926.202.

29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019) at a glance

Status: Removed July 15, 2019 (SIP-IV, 84 FR 21416): no longer in the CFR
Where the rule lives now: 29 CFR 1926.200(g)(1)–(2), Traffic control signs and devices
The standard: Barricades and other traffic control devices must conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD (incorporated by reference, 1926.6)
Also removed with it: 1926.203 (Definitions applicable to Subpart G): the MUTCD supplies the definitions
Pairs with: Signs (1926.200(a)–(f), (h)) and signaling/flaggers (1926.201)
Max penalty (2026): $16,550 per serious violation; $165,514 per willful: cited under 1926.200(g)

What 29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019) requires (plain English)

29 CFR 1926.202 was the barricades section of Subpart G (Signs, Signals, and Barricades). Its single sentence required barricades for the protection of employees to conform to Part 6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). It is still cited in older safety programs, subcontract exhibits and training decks, which is why this page exists, but it was removed from the Code of Federal Regulations effective July 15, 2019.

The removal came in OSHA's Standards Improvement Project-Phase IV (SIP-IV) final rule, 84 FR 21416 (May 14, 2019). OSHA rewrote 1926.200(g) so that paragraph (g)(1) requires traffic control signs and devices at points of hazard and paragraph (g)(2) requires the design and use of all traffic control devices (signs, signals, markings, barricades and other devices) to conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD. With (g)(2) covering barricades expressly, OSHA deleted 1926.202 as duplicative and deleted 1926.203 (definitions) because the MUTCD defines the same terms. The same rule updated the incorporated MUTCD from the Millennium Edition to the 2009 Edition.

Nothing about the field obligation changed: barricades protecting construction workers still have to be the standardized, retroreflective, correctly placed devices the MUTCD prescribes, and they still work with signs (1926.200) and flaggers (1926.201) to control work-zone traffic. What changed is the citation. A compliance officer writing a barricade violation today cites 1926.200(g)(1) or (g)(2), and a written traffic-control plan should say the same.

The regulatory text

“The design and use of all traffic control devices, including signs, signals, markings, barricades, and other devices, for protection of construction workers shall conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD (incorporated by reference, see § 1926.6).”

29 CFR 1926.200(g)(2)

Key facts about 29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019)

1926.202 was removed from the CFR effective July 15, 2019 (SIP-IV final rule, 84 FR 21416, May 14, 2019).
Its requirement, barricades conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD, now sits in 1926.200(g)(2).
1926.200(g)(1) requires traffic control signs and devices at points of hazard in construction areas.
1926.203 (definitions for Subpart G) was removed in the same rule; the MUTCD supplies the definitions.
The MUTCD is incorporated by reference through 1926.6 (2009 Edition since SIP-IV).
Citations for non-conforming or improvised barricades are written under 1926.200(g), not 1926.202.
Signs (1926.200) and flaggers (1926.201) remain the other two legs of Subpart G.

Key requirements of 29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019)

#	Employer obligation
1	Cite 1926.200(g), not 1926.202, for barricade violations
2	Barricades and other traffic control devices conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD (1926.200(g)(2))
3	Points of hazard posted with traffic control signs and protected by devices (1926.200(g)(1))

The section is gone; the obligation is not

Two opposite mistakes show up on jobsites. The first is treating the removal as a relaxation: it was not. SIP-IV deleted 1926.202 only because 1926.200(g)(2) already says the same thing about barricades and every other traffic control device. The second is the paperwork mistake: programs, toolbox talks and subcontract safety exhibits that still cite 1926.202 as if it were current. A citation, an abatement letter or a contest will name 1926.200(g). Update the reference, keep the practice: barricades protecting workers CONFORM TO PART 6 OF THE MUTCD, and an ad-hoc assortment of cones and tape that drivers can misread does not.

What OSHA inspectors look for

A compliance officer looks at the same thing the old section covered (whether barricades and other channelizing devices protecting workers in and around traffic conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD in type, placement, striping and retroreflectivity) but the citation is written under 1926.200(g)(1) or (g)(2). A safety plan, JHA or subcontract that still cites 1926.202 is not wrong on the substance, but it points inspectors and lawyers to a section that has not existed since July 2019.

Example: how a violation is cited

A road-construction crew uses a random assortment of cones and improvised barriers that do not conform to the MUTCD to protect a work zone, and a vehicle intrudes into the work area. OSHA cites 1926.200(g)(2) (the design and use of traffic control devices, including barricades, must conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD) with penalties from $16,550. The company's written program still cites "1926.202"; the citation does not.

Illustrative example, not a specific OSHA case.

Barricades (removed; see 1926.200(g)) compliance checklist

Replace every reference to 1926.202 in programs, JHAs and subcontract exhibits with 1926.200(g).
Use barricades and channelizing devices that conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD (2009 Edition).
Post legible traffic control signs and protect points of hazard with traffic control devices (1926.200(g)(1)).
Select the correct device type for the work-zone situation and stripe/place it per the MUTCD.
Coordinate barricades with signs (1926.200) and flaggers (1926.201).
Reassess and adjust the traffic-control setup as the work zone changes.

Free compliance tools for 29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019)

Pre-Task Plan Generator Job Hazard Analysis Builder Weekly Site Safety Inspection

Frequently asked questions about 29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019)

Is 29 CFR 1926.202 still in effect?

No. OSHA removed 1926.202 (Barricades) and 1926.203 (Definitions) in the Standards Improvement Project-Phase IV final rule, 84 FR 21416 (May 14, 2019), effective July 15, 2019. The barricade requirement was not dropped: it was folded into the revised 1926.200(g), which requires the design and use of all traffic control devices, including barricades, to conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD.

What does OSHA cite for a non-conforming barricade today?

1926.200(g)(2): the design and use of all traffic control devices, including signs, signals, markings, barricades and other devices, for protection of construction workers shall conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD. Where the problem is a point of hazard with no signs or devices at all, 1926.200(g)(1) applies. Inspectors and OSHA's citation data use these paragraphs, not 1926.202.

Can I use cones or tape instead of barricades?

Only if they conform to the MUTCD for the situation. 1926.200(g)(2) requires the traffic control devices protecting workers to conform to Part 6 of the MUTCD, which specifies which channelizing devices are appropriate and how they must be designed, placed and made retroreflective. An improvised assortment of cones or tape that does not meet the MUTCD, or that fails to separate workers from the hazard, is not compliant.

My safety program still cites 1926.202: do I have to change it?

The substance of the program is not wrong, but the citation points to a section that has not existed since July 15, 2019. Update the reference to 1926.200(g) (and any 1926.203 definitions to the MUTCD) so that your plan matches what a citation, an abatement letter or a contest will say. OSHA's SIP-IV rule (84 FR 21416) is the primary source for the change.

Regulatory history of 29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019)

1926.202 dates from OSHA's original 1971 construction standards and was streamlined in 2002 (67 FR 57722) to incorporate the then-current MUTCD by reference. In the Standards Improvement Project-Phase IV final rule (84 FR 21416, May 14, 2019; effective July 15, 2019), OSHA revised 1926.200(g) to cover the design and use of all traffic control devices, updated the incorporated MUTCD to the 2009 Edition, and removed 1926.202 and 1926.203 as duplicative. Part 6 of the MUTCD remains the governing standard for temporary traffic control barricades and channelizing devices.

Related glossary terms

Key terms that appear in 29 CFR 1926.202 (removed July 15, 2019), each with a full plain-English explainer.

Struck-By Competent Person Job Hazard Analysis Hierarchy of Controls

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Primary sources

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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