1926.803(m): Bulkheads and safety screens
Key takeaways
- 1926.803(m) is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart S).
- Related part: 1926.803(m)(3).
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.803(m) ("Bulkheads and safety screens") is one requirement inside 1926.803 Compressed air, an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart S). It includes 3 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(m) Bulkheads and safety screens.
(1) Intermediate bulkheads with locks, or intermediate safety screens or both, are required where there is the danger of rapid flooding.
(2) In tunnels 16 feet or more in diameter, hanging walkways shall be provided from the face to the man lock as high in the tunnel as practicable, with at least 6 feet of head room. Walkways shall be constructed of noncombustible material. Standard railings shall be securely installed throughout the length of all walkways on open sides in accordance with subpart M of this part. Where walkways are ramped under safety screens, the walkway surface shall be skidproofed by cleats or by equivalent means.
(3) Bulkheads used to contain compressed air shall be tested, where practicable, to prove their ability to resist the highest air pressure which may be expected to be used. Open (m)(3)
[44 FR 8577, Feb. 9, 1979; 44 FR 20940, Apr. 6, 1979, as amended at 47 FR 14696, 14706, Apr. 6, 1982; 51 FR 25318, July 11, 1986; 61 FR 5510, Feb. 13, 1996]
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1926.803.
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OSHA interpretation letters
- Standards for decompression chambers for use with pressurized face-tunnel boring machines. (2010-07-23)
Related parts of this rule
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.803 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.