1926.1126(h): Hygiene areas and practices
Key takeaways
- 1926.1126(h) is part of OSHA's construction standards (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart Z).
- OSHA cited it 1 times in the last 3 years, in 1 inspections, with $185 in current penalties.
- Related part: 1926.1126(h)(3) Washing facilities.
- Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1926.1126(h) ("Hygiene areas and practices") is one requirement inside 1926.1126 Chromium (VI), an OSHA construction standard (Part 1926, Subpart Z). It includes 9 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
(h) Hygiene areas and practices — 1 citations
(1) General. Where protective clothing and equipment is required, the employer shall provide change rooms in conformance with 29 CFR 1926.51 Where skin contact with chromium (VI) occurs, the employer shall provide washing facilities in conformance with 29 CFR 1926.51. Eating and drinking areas provided by the employer shall also be in conformance with § 1926.51. 1 citations
(2) Change rooms. The employer shall assure that change rooms are equipped with separate storage facilities for protective clothing and equipment and for street clothes, and that these facilities prevent cross-contamination.
(3) Washing facilities. Open (h)(3)
(i) The employer shall provide readily accessible washing facilities capable of removing chromium (VI) from the skin, and shall ensure that affected employees use these facilities when necessary. Open (h)(3)(i)
(ii) The employer shall ensure that employees who have skin contact with chromium (VI) wash their hands and faces at the end of the work shift and prior to eating, drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco or gum, applying cosmetics, or using the toilet.
(4) Eating and drinking areas.
(i) Whenever the employer allows employees to consume food or beverages at a worksite where chromium (VI) is present, the employer shall ensure that eating and drinking areas and surfaces are maintained as free as practicable of chromium (VI).
(ii) The employer shall ensure that employees do not enter eating and drinking areas with protective work clothing or equipment unless surface chromium (VI) has been removed from the clothing and equipment by methods that do not disperse chromium (VI) into the air or onto an employee's body.
(5) Prohibited activities. The employer shall ensure that employees do not eat, drink, smoke, chew tobacco or gum, or apply cosmetics in areas where skin or eye contact with chromium (VI) occurs; or carry the products associated with these activities, or store such products in these areas.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1926.1126.
Where and how often it was cited
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Sources
- 29 CFR 1926.1126 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-20
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.