California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 7 - General Industry Safety Orders › Group 1 - General Physical Conditions and Structures › Article 1 - Definitions › Section 3207 - Definitions

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) The following
						terms are defined for general use in these regulations; specialized definitions
						appear in individual articles. (See Definitions in the Index)
Access. A means of reaching a work space of a work
						  area.
Accessible. Within reach from a work space or work
						  area.
Accessible Location. A location which can be reached by
						  an employee standing on the floor, platform, runway, or other permanent working
						  area.
Adequate. Sufficient to reduce the risk to an
						  acceptable minimum.
Agricultural Building. A building located on
						  agricultural property and used to shelter farm implements, hay, grain, poultry,
						  livestock, or other farm produce, in which there is no human habitation, and
						  which is not used by the public.
Alternating Tread Stairs. A stair on which the treads
						  are approximately one-half the width of the stair and alternate from right to
						  left, consecutively, for the length of the stair.
ANSI. American National Standards Institute.
Approvals. See Section
						  3206.
Assembly Building. A building or portion of a
						  building:
(A) Used or intended to be
						used for the gathering together of 50 or more persons for such purposes of
						amusement, entertainment, instruction, deliberation, worship, drinking, or
						dining, awaiting transportation or education, or;
(B) Any building or structure or portion
						thereof used or intended to be used for the showing of motion pictures when an
						admission fee is charged and when such buildings or structure is open to the
						public and has a capacity of 10 or more persons.
Attic Story. Any story immediately below the roof and
						  wholly or partly within the roof framing, designed, arranged, or built for
						  business or storage use.
Authorized (in reference to an employee's assignment).
						  Selected by the employer for that purpose.
Balcony, Exterior Exit. A landing or porch projecting
						  from the wall of a building, and which serves as a required means of egress.
						  The long side shall be at least 50 percent open, and the open area above the
						  guardrail shall be so distributed as to prevent the accumulation of smoke or
						  toxic gases.
Basement. That portion of a building between floor and
						  ceiling, which is partly below and partly above grade but so located that the
						  vertical distance from grade to the floor below is less than the vertical
						  distance from grade to ceiling. (See "Story.") Bite. The nip point between two
						  in-running rolls.
Boiler, High Pressure. A boiler furnishing steam at
						  pressures in excess of 15 pounds per square inch or hot water at temperatures
						  in excess of 250° F, or at pressures in excess of 160 pounds per square
						  inch.
Boiler, Low Pressure Hot Water. A boiler furnishing hot
						  water at pressures not exceeding 160 pounds per square inch, or at temperatures
						  of 250 degrees and below.
Boiler, Low Pressure Steam. A boiler furnishing steam
						  at or below 15 pounds per square inch.
Boiler Room. Any room containing a steam or hot water
						  boiler.
Bond. An electrical connection from one conductive
						  element to another for the purpose of minimizing potential differences or
						  providing suitable conductivity for fault current or for mitigation of leakage
						  current and electrolytic action.
Building. Any structure as to which state agencies have
						  regulatory power, built for support, shelter, housing or enclosure of persons,
						  animals, chattels, equipment, or property of any kind, and also includes
						  structures wherein things may be grown, made, produced, kept, handled, stored,
						  or disposed of. All appendages, accessories, apparatus, appliances, and
						  equipment installed as a part of a building or structure shall be deemed to be
						  a part thereof, but "building" shall not include machinery, equipment, or
						  appliances installed for manufacture or process purposes only, nor shall it
						  include any construction installations which are not a part of a building, any
						  tunnel, mine shaft, highway, or bridge, or include any house trailer or vehicle
						  which conforms to the Vehicle Code.
Building, Existing. See Section
						  3202.
CAC. California Administrative Code.
Calendar. A machine equipped with two or more metal
						  rolls revolving in opposite directions and used for continuously sheeting or
						  plying up rubber and plastics compounds and for frictioning or coating
						  materials with rubber and plastics compounds.
Catwalk (Maintenance Runway). Narrow elevated level or
						  inclined walkway not intended as a routine passageway, but normally used as
						  access for special purposes such as light maintenance, adjustment, inspection,
						  or observation.
Cellar. That portion of a building between floor and
						  ceiling which is wholly or partly below grade and so located that the vertical
						  distance from grade to the floor below is equal to or greater than the vertical
						  distance from grade to ceiling. (See "Story.")
Certified Safety Professional or CSP. A safety
						  professional who has met education and experience standards, has demonstrated
						  by examination the knowledge that applies to professional safety practice,
						  continues to meet recertification requirements established by the Board of
						  Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), and is authorized by BCSP to use the
						  Certified Safety Professional designation.
Competent Person. One who is capable of identifying
						  existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions
						  which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has
						  authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Court. An open, uncovered and unoccupied space,
						  unobstructed to the sky, bounded on three or more sides by exterior building
						  walls.
Court (enclosed). A court bounded on all sides by the
						  exterior walls of a building or exterior walls and lot lines on which walls are
						  allowable.
Crossover. A means to allow employees to pass over or
						  cross a horizontal belted or live roller conveyor without the employee's feet
						  coming into contact with moving or movable elements of the conveyor. Such means
						  shall include, but are not limited to, catwalks as specified in Section
						  3273 of these Orders,
						  non-continuous, slip resistant (e.g. raised diamond-studded) metal "stepping
						  stones" (e.g. "walking pads"), or replacing conveyor rollers with continuous
						  parallel metal strip walking surfaces ("crosswalks").
Dead Load. The dead load of a building shall include
						  the weight of the walls, permanent partitions, framing, floors, roofs, and all
						  other permanent stationary construction entering into and becoming a part of a
						  building.
Division. The Division of Occupational Safety and
						  Health.
Dockboard (Dock Plate). A portable or fixed device for
						  spanning the gap or compensating for difference in level between loading
						  platforms and carriers. Doors.
(A)
						Automatic-Closing Doors are those which are normally open but will close at the
						time of fire. A door may be made automatic closing by the installation of a
						closing device and a separate, labeled, fail-safe door-holder/release device or
						a hold-open mechanism which may be an integral part of the basic closing
						device, provided the hold-open mechanism is released by one or a combination of
						automatic fire detectors acceptable to the authority having
						jurisdiction.
(B) Power-Operated
						Fire Doors are those which are normally opened and closed by power. They shall
						be equipped with a releasing device which will automatically disconnect the
						power operator at the time of fire, allowing a self-closing or automatic device
						to close the door irrespective of power failure or manual operation.
(C) Self-Closing Doors are those which, when
						opened, return to the closed position. The door shall swing easily and freely
						and shall be equipped with a closing device to cause the door to close and
						latch each time it is opened. The closing mechanism shall not have a hold-open
						feature.
Emergency Action Plan. A plan for a workplace, or parts
						  thereof, describing what procedures the employer and employees must take to
						  ensure employee safety from fire or other emergencies.
Emergency Escape Route. The route that employees are
						  directed to follow in the event they are required to evacuate the workplace or
						  seek a designated refuge area.
Equivalent. An alternate design, feature, device, or
						  protective action which provides an equal degree of safety.
Exit. A continuous and unobstructed means of egress to
						  a public way, and shall include intervening doors, doorways, corridors,
						  exterior exit balconies, ramps, stairways, smokeproof enclosures, horizontal
						  exits, exit passageways, exit courts, and yards.
Exit Passageway. An enclosed means of egress connecting
						  a required exit or exit court with a public way.
Fire Wall. A fire wall may be broadly defined as a wall
						  erected to prevent the spread of fire. To be effective, fire walls must have
						  sufficient fire resistance to withstand the effects of the most severe fire
						  that may be expected to occur in the building and must provide a complete
						  barrier to the spread of fire. Any openings in a fire wall must be suitably
						  protected.
Floor Area. The area included within the surrounding
						  exterior walls of a building or portion thereof, exclusive of vent shafts and
						  courts. The floor area of a building, or portion thereof, not provided with
						  surrounding exterior walls shall be the usable area under the horizontal
						  projection of the roof or floor above.
Floor Hole. Any opening in a floor or platform which is
						  smaller than a floor opening.
Floor Opening. An opening in any floor or platform, 12
						  inches or more in the least horizontal dimension. It includes stairway floor
						  openings, ladderway floor openings, hatchways, and chute floor openings.
Flume. An elevated artificial channel or trough for
						  conducting water.
Water flumes may be constructed of wood, metal or
						  concrete or combination of the preceding. They may be either open on top or
						  partially covered by rigid members (caps) laid across the flume perpendicular
						  to the water flow.
Flume Patrol. The on-site assessment/inspection of a
						  flume's physical condition, and/or structural integrity conducted by a
						  qualified person.
The qualified person may inspect the flume or portions
						  thereof from ground level, and/or from an elevated catwalk/walkway located
						  above or along the flume.
Frequent. For the purpose of these orders frequent
						  shall mean more than twelve times each year unless specifically stated
						  otherwise in individual orders.
Fumigant. A substance or mixture of substances, used to
						  kill pests or prevent infestation, which is a gas or is rapidly or
						  progressively transformed to the gaseous state, even though some nongaseous or
						  particulate matter may remain and be dispersed in the treatment space.
Gantry Truck. An automotive vehicle so designed and
						  constructed that it straddles the load to be transported, and by means of
						  appropriate mechanisms, picks up the load and supports it during
						  transportation.
Grade (Adjacent Ground Elevation). The lowest point of
						  elevation of the finished surface of the ground, paving or sidewalk, within the
						  area between the building and the property line, or when the property line is
						  more than 5 feet from the building, between the building and a line 5 feet from
						  the building.
Grounded, Effectively. Intentionally connected to earth
						  through a ground connection or connections of sufficiently low impedance and
						  having sufficient current-carrying capacity to prevent the build-up of voltages
						  which may result in undue hazard to connected equipment or persons.
Guardrail. A vertical barrier erected along the open
						  edges of a floor opening, wall opening, ramp, platform, runway, or other
						  elevated area to prevent falls of persons.
Handrail. A device to be used as a handhold.
Hazard, Extra. Areas where the amount of combustibles
						  or flammable liquids present is such that fires of severe magnitude may be
						  expected.
These may include woodworking, auto repair, aircraft
						  servicing, warehouses with high-piled (over 15 feet in solid piles, over 12
						  feet in piles that contain horizontal channels) combustibles and processes such
						  as flammable liquid handling, painting, dipping, etc.
Hazard, High. Areas where the contents are classified
						  as liable to burn with extreme rapidity or from which poisonous fumes or
						  explosions are to be feared in the event of fire.
Hazard, Light. Areas where the amount of combustibles
						  or flammable liquids present is such that fires of small size may be expected.
						  These may include offices, schoolrooms, churches, assembly halls, telephone
						  exchanges, etc.
Hazard, Low. Areas where the contents are classified as
						  being of such low combustibility that no self propagating fire therein can
						  occur and that consequently the only probable danger requiring the use of
						  emergency exits will be from panic, fumes, or smoke, or fire from some external
						  source.
Hazard, Ordinary. Where the amount of combustibles or
						  flammable liquids present is such that fires of moderate size may be expected.
						  These may include mercantile storage and display, auto showrooms, parking
						  garages, light manufacturing, warehouses not classified as extra hazard, school
						  shop areas, etc.
Hazardous Substance. One which by reason of being
						  explosive, flammable, toxic, poisonous, corrosive, oxidizing, irritant, or
						  otherwise harmful is likely to cause injury.
Horizontal Exit. A way of passage from one building to
						  an area of refuge in another building on approximately the same level, or a way
						  of passage through or around a wall or partition to an area of refuge on
						  approximately the same level in the same building, which affords safety from
						  fire or smoke from the area of escape and areas communicating therewith.
Inaccessible Location. A location to which access is
						  provided only by portable ladders or other portable temporary means.
Industrial Stairs. A series of steps leading from one
						  level or floor to another, or leading to platforms, pits, boiler rooms,
						  crossovers, or around machinery, tanks, and other equipment. A series of steps
						  and landings having three or more risers constitutes an industrial stair or
						  stairway.
Installation. An entire plant with all its accessories
						  or any machine, tool, equipment, process, apparatus, subject or item covered
						  under these orders.
Institutional Occupancy. The occupancy or use of a
						  building or structure or any portion thereof by persons harbored or detained to
						  receive medical, charitable or other care or treatment, or by persons
						  involuntarily detained.
Landing. An extended step or platform breaking a
						  continuous run of steps or ramps.
Listed. See Section
						  3206, Approvals.
Live Load. The live load includes all loads except dead
						  and lateral loads.
Loading Ramp. A readily moveable or portable surface of
						  fixed or adjustable slope designed to facilitate transfer of cargo or materials
						  handling equipment to bridge the space between a vehicle and a receiving level
						  or area.
Mercantile Occupancy. The occupancy or use of a
						  building or structure or any portion thereof for the displaying, selling or
						  buying of goods, wares, or merchandise.
Mezzanine or Mezzanine Floor. An intermediate floor
						  placed in any story or room. When the total area of any such "Mezzanine Floor"
						  exceeds 33 1/3 percent of the total floor area in that room, it shall be
						  considered as constituting an additional "Story." The clear height above or
						  below a "Mezzanine Floor" construction shall be not less than 7 feet.
Microtome. A device that cuts extremely thin slices of
						  material for microscopic study. Microtomes include hand-powered (manual),
						  semi-automatic and automatic units. This equipment also may be called a
						  "histotome" or "cryostat".
Mill. A machine consisting of two adjacent metal rolls,
						  set horizontally, which revolve in opposite directions (i.e., toward each other
						  as viewed from above) used for the mechanical working of rubber and plastics
						  compounds.
Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). A
						  laboratory which has been recognized by the Department of Labor, Occupational
						  Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as meeting the requirements of
						  29 CFR
						  1910.7.
New Installation.
(A) An installation made after these Orders
						become effective.
(B) An existing
						fixed installation materially altered or otherwise materially changed after the
						date these Orders become effective. Materially altered or materially changed as
						used above does not mean the replacement of parts, maintenance, or the
						installation of devices designed to decrease the hazard of installation.
Noncombustible as applied to building construction
						  material means a material which, in the form in which it is used, is either one
						  of the following:
1. Material of which
						no part will ignite and burn when subjected to fire. Any material conforming to
						U.B.C. Standard No. 4-1 shall be considered noncombustible within the meaning
						of this section.
2. Material having
						a structural base of noncombustible material as defined in Item No. 1 above,
						with a surfacing material not over 1/8 inch thick which has a flame-spread
						rating of 50 or less.
"Noncombustible" does not apply to surface finish
						  materials. Material required to be noncombustible for reduced clearances to
						  flues, heating appliances or other sources of high temperature shall refer to
						  material conforming to Item No.1. No material shall be classed as
						  noncombustible which is subject to increase in combustibility or flame-spread
						  rating, beyond the limits herein established, through the effects of age,
						  moisture or other atmospheric condition. Flame-spread rating as used herein
						  refers to rating obtained according to tests conducted as specified in U.B.C.
						  Standard No. 42-1.
Nose, Nosing. That portion of a tread projecting beyond
						  the face of the riser immediately below.
Occupancy. The purpose for which a building is used or
						  intended to be used. The term shall also include the building or room housing
						  such use. Change of occupancy is not intended to include change of tenants or
						  proprietors.
Office Occupancy. The occupancy or use of a building or
						  structure or any portion thereof for the transaction of business, or the
						  rendering or receiving of professional services.
Occupant Load. The total number of persons that may
						  occupy a building or portion thereof at any one time.
Open Riser. The air space between the treads of
						  stairways without upright members (risers).
Panic Hardware. A bar which extends not less than
						  one-half the width of each door leaf, not less than 30 nor more than 44 inches
						  above the floor, which will unlatch the door when a force to the bar not to
						  exceed 15 pounds is applied in the direction of exit travel.
Personal Fall Arrest System. A system used to arrest an
						  employee in a fall from a working level. It consists of an anchorage,
						  connectors, body harness and may include a lanyard, deceleration device,
						  lifeline, or suitable combinations of the aforementioned
						  components/devices.
Personal Fall Protection System. A personal fall
						  protection system includes personal fall arrest systems, positioning device
						  systems, fall restraint systems, safety nets and guardrails.
Personal Fall Restraint System. A system used to
						  prevent an employee from falling. It consists of an anchorage, connectors, and
						  body belt/harness. It may include, lanyards, lifelines, and rope grabs designed
						  for that purpose.
Platform. An elevated working level for persons.
						  Storage platforms, balconies and open-sided floors are considered platforms for
						  the purpose of these orders.
Positioning Device System. A body belt or body harness
						  system rigged to allow an employee to be supported on an elevated surface, such
						  as a wall, and work with both hands free while leaning.
Private Stairway. A stairway serving one tenant
						  only.
Public Way. Any parcel of land unobstructed from the
						  ground to the sky, more than 10 feet in width, appropriated to the free passage
						  of the general public.
Pyroxylin Plastic. Any plastic substance, material,
						  compound, other than nitro-cellulose film, having soluble cotton or similar
						  nitro-cellulose as a base, including celluloid, fiber-loid, pyralin, viscoloid,
						  zylonite and similar products, materials and compounds by whatever name known,
						  when in the form of blocks, slabs, sheets, tubes or fabricated shapes.
Qualified Person, Attendant or Operator. A person
						  designated by the employer who by reason of their training and experience has
						  demonstrated their ability to safely perform their duties and, where required,
						  is properly licensed in accordance with federal, state, or local laws and
						  regulations.
Ramp. Inclined passageway connecting two levels and
						  usually used for pedestrian traffic; does not include catwalks or
						  stairs.
Ramp, Industrial. Permanently installed inclined
						  passageway connecting two levels and designed primarily for industrial trucks;
						  does not include portable ramps, dockboards, dock levelers, or catwalks.
Required Exit. A means of egress required by these
						  orders.
Rise. The vertical distance from the top of a tread to
						  the top of the next higher tread.
Riser. The upright member of a step situated at the
						  back of a lower tread and near the leading edge of the next higher
						  tread.
Rope Access. The use of rope access equipment where
						  ropes are used as the primary means of support, as a means of protection or
						  positioning, and where an employee descends or ascends on a rope, or traverses
						  along a rope.
Rope Access Equipment. Specialized equipment approved
						  for use with rope access techniques to suspend, support, position or protect an
						  employee.
Runway. An elevated passageway. Runways are sometimes
						  referred to as catwalks, footwalks, elevated walkways, oilers' platforms or
						  maintenance runways.
Shall. A mandatory requirement.
Shear Point. The immediate area where two or more
						  machine elements pass in close contact, creating a shearing action hazardous to
						  employees. The elements may be in any form of motion, or one may be at
						  rest.
Ship Stair (Ships Ladder). A fixed ladder within the
						  pitch range of 50 to 75 degrees with the horizontal, equipped with treads and
						  stair rails.
Should. A recommendation.
Skirt Guard. In relation to vertical closing shear
						  hazards a vertical member which prohibits entry of human body parts within the
						  vertical plane of the shear zone.
Spiral stairway (Circular Stairway.) One with closed
						  circular form, uniform sector-shaped treads and a supporting column.
Stair Railing. A vertical barrier constructed along the
						  open side or sides of stairways and as intermediate stair rails where required
						  on wide stairways.
Stairway. Two or more risers shall constitute a
						  stairway.
Storage Access Aisle. An aisle, from which pedestrian
						  traffic is excluded during truck operation, designed for the passage of a
						  single industrial truck.
Story. That portion of a building included between the
						  upper surface of any floor and the upper surface of the floor next above,
						  except that the topmost story shall be that portion of a building included
						  between the upper surface of the topmost floor and the ceiling or roof above.
						  If the finished floor level directly above a basement, cellar or unused
						  underfloor space is more than 6 feet above grade as defined herein for more
						  than 50 percent of the total perimeter or is more than 12 feet above grade as
						  defined herein at any point, such basement, cellar or unused underfloor space
						  shall be considered as a story.
Structure. That which is built or constructed, an
						  edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or
						  composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.
Suitable. Capable of performing with safety the
						  particular function specified in these regulation.
Toeboard. A vertical barrier erected along the open
						  edges of floor openings or floor holes, platforms, and runways.
Toe Plate (deflector type). In relation to vertical
						  closing shear hazards a smooth metal plate not less than 8 inches wide and not
						  less than 11 gauge thickness, attached flush with the vertical edge of the
						  upper member of the shear, slanted downward and inward at an angle of
						  approximately 30 degrees from the vertical.
Traffic Aisle. An aisle used by industrial vehicles and
						  pedestrians during normal operations.
Tread. The horizontal member of a step.
Tread Depth. The horizontal distance from front to back
						  of tread including nosing when used.
Tread Run. The horizontal distance from the leading
						  edge of a tread to the leading edge of an adjacent tread.
Wall Opening. An opening in a wall or partition not
						  provided with glazed sash, having a height of at least 30 inches and a width of
						  at least 18 inches, through which a person might fall to a level 30 inches or
						  more below.
Water Heater. An appliance intended to provide hot
						  water for domestic purposes and complying with all of the following:
(A) The heater does not have more than
						120-gallon capacity.
(B) The heater
						is used only for heating service water.
(C) The operating control on all
						automatically controlled heaters is installed by the manufacturer and is of a
						type that cannot be regulated to increase the water temperature at the top of
						the heater to more than 200° F.
(D) A non-adjustable control is installed on
						all automatically controlled heaters by the manufacturer and set to shut off
						the heat input when the temperature at the top of the heater is 210° F or
						less. This control and the necessary fuel valve, switch, etc., shall be
						separate from the operating mechanisms required in (C) above.
(E) The heater is protected against
						over-pressure with an ASME or AGA rated relief valve set to open at not more
						than the maximum allowable working pressure of the heater and having a
						relieving capacity in BTU/hr at least equal to the burner output.
Working Level or Working Area. A platform, walkway,
						  runway, floor or similar area fixed with reference to the hazard and used by
						  employees in the course of their employment. This does not include ladders or
						  portable or temporary means used for access, repair or maintenance, provided
						  such means are removed immediately upon completion of the work.
Yard. An open, unoccupied space, other than a court,
						  unobstructed from the ground to the sky.
Yard Hole. An opening in a yard or pavement smaller
						  than a yard opening.
Yard Opening. An opening in a yard or pavement, 12
						  inches or more in the least horizontal dimension.