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Material Storage and Waste Disposal on Construction Sites

Learn how to stack and store materials on a construction site, where and how much you may store, how to keep aisles and work areas clear, and how waste and debris must be handled.

Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1926.250 (General requirements for storage) and 29 CFR 1926.252 (Disposal of waste materials) · about 3 min read

Need proof of training? The full course (20 min) adds practice questions, a job scenario, the final quiz and a certificate your employer can verify.

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Stacking and securing

Secure what you stack

Tiers: all materials stored in tiers must be stacked, racked, blocked, interlocked or otherwise secured to prevent sliding, falling or collapse
Noncompatible materials: segregate them in storage
Cylindrical materials: structural steel, poles, pipe, bar stock and other cylindrical materials, unless racked, must be stacked and blocked to prevent spreading or tilting

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.250(a)(1) · 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(3) · 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(9)

Stacking and securing

Stacking rules by material

Each material has its own stacking rule. Open each one.

Bags

Bagged materialsStack by stepping back the layers and cross-keying the bags at least every 10 bags high.

Brick

Brick stacksNot more than 7 feet in height. When a loose brick stack reaches 4 feet, taper it back 2 inches in every foot of height above the 4-foot level.

Block

Masonry blocksWhen stacked higher than 6 feet, taper the stack back one-half block per tier above the 6-foot level.

Lumber

LumberWithdraw all nails from used lumber before stacking. Stack on level, solidly supported sills, stable and self-supporting. Piles do not exceed 20 feet; lumber handled manually is not stacked more than 16 feet high.

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(4) · 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(6) · 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(7) · 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(8)

Where and how much to store

Floors and load limits

The weight of stored materials on floors within buildings and structures must not exceed maximum safe load limits
Employers must conspicuously post the maximum safe load limits of floors, in pounds per square foot, in all storage areas, except when the storage area is on a floor or slab on grade
Posting is not required for storage areas in all single-family residential structures and wood-framed multi-family residential structures

Before you set down a heavy load on an upper floor, look for the posted limit. Where no limit is posted, ask your supervisor; the weight limit still applies.

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.250(a)(2)(i) · 29 CFR 1926.250(a)(2)(ii)

Where and how much to store

Openings, scaffolds and runways

Inside buildings under construction: do not place material within 6 feet of any hoistway or inside floor openings, nor within 10 feet of an exterior wall which does not extend above the top of the material stored
Scaffolds and runways: do not store materials on them in excess of supplies needed for immediate operations

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(1) · 29 CFR 1926.250(b)(5)

Housekeeping and waste

Clear aisles and tidy storage

Aisles and passageways: keep them clear for the free and safe movement of material handling equipment or employees
Storage areas: keep them free from accumulation of materials that constitute hazards from tripping, fire, explosion or pest harborage

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.250(a)(3) · 29 CFR 1926.250(c)

Housekeeping and waste

Waste, debris and chutes

Dropping more than 20 feet outside the exterior walls: an enclosed chute of wood, or equivalent material, must be used
Debris dropped through floor holes without chutes: the area where it lands must be completely enclosed with barricades not less than 42 inches high and not less than 6 feet back from the projected edge of the opening above, with warning signs posted at each level. Removal is not permitted in this lower area until debris handling ceases above
Scrap and rubbish: remove all scrap lumber, waste material and rubbish from the immediate work area as the work progresses
Solvent waste, oily rags and flammable liquids: keep them in fire resistant covered containers until removed from the worksite

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.252(a) · 29 CFR 1926.252(b) · 29 CFR 1926.252(c) · 29 CFR 1926.252(e)

Need proof of training? The full course (20 min) adds practice questions, a job scenario, the final quiz and a certificate your employer can verify.

Take the course

Sources

Fact-checked against the regulation text on October 09, 2026. This certificate records completion of awareness training based on OSHA 29 CFR 1926.250(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (b)(1), (b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), (b)(7), (b)(8), (b)(9) and (c), and 29 CFR 1926.252(a), (b), (c) and (e). It is not an OSHA card or license. Sections 1926.250 and 1926.252 have no training paragraph of their own, and this certificate does not by itself meet the general training requirement of 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2). Your employer must still instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to their work environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury.

This guide explains the rule in plain words. Always read the regulation itself and your employer's site-specific procedures.