How wide does a walkway need to be in a factory?

The recommended width of aisles is at least 3 feet wider than the largest equipment to be utilized, or a minimum of 4 feet.

Your questions and our reply follow. Question #1: The OSHA [exit route] requirements, [§1910.36(g)(2)], state that the minimum width of any way of exit access shall in no case be less than 28 inches And the OSHA stair requirement, §1910.24(d), requires a minimum stair width of 22 inches.

The ADA requires that walkways be a minimum of 36″ Wide. The CBC, however, requires that walkways be a minimum of 48″ wide. Clear widths can be reduced to 36″ if the 48″ requirement creates a hazard, upon approval of the enforcing agency.

OSHA guideline 29 CFR 1910.176 (a) Requires pedestrian pathways and other walking areas to be clearly marked and free from obstructions at all times, which is particularly important in those areas near regular forklift activity.

The wording of the standard, 29 CFR 1910.22(b)(2), that aisles and passageways be appropriately marked, does not require marking by painted yellow lines only.

OSHA Standards for Aisle Width

In an official interpretation of OSHA standard CFR 1910.22(b), it’s stated that the recommended width of aisles is at least 3 feet wider than the largest equipment to be utilized, or a minimum of 4 feet – whichever is greater.

OSHA’s construction fall protection rule, 29 CFR Subpart M §1926.500, defines these terms as follows: “Hole means a gap or void 2 inches (5.1 cm) or more In its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface.”

Sidewalks should be At least 4″ (100mm) In thickness. Simple slabs for small foundations, bases, etc., normally 4″ to 6″ (100mm to150mm) thick, depending on the load they must bear.

If you have a wide aisle forklift (a sit-down counterbalanced truck), generally your aisles should be 12-13 feet wide For standard 48 inch pallets. If you have narrow aisle trucks, the aisles should be 8-10 feet wide, and for very narrow aisle trucks they can be 6 feet or less.

Definition: Pedestrian safety Requires that children have safe places to walk and play, are properly supervised when they are in the vicinity of traffic, and learn to use caution when crossing streets.

Ideally, you should keep a forklift as far away from pedestrians as possible. In areas where pedestrians are present, a minimum distance of 4 ft. is necessary.

Most of these designs have elongated chassis to accommodate the heavy, rear-mounted counterweight that balances the load in the mast and carriage. As a rule, sit-down counterbalanced forklifts need aisles at least 12 feet Wide to handle standard 48-inch pallets.

Use yellow line markings to indicate paths, work cells and traffic lanes. Use red line markings to alert employees to danger zones. Use black line markings to indicate works in progress.

Note: This does not mean standard floor marking can’t or shouldn’t be yellow; OSHA said, in a 1977 interpretation, that “Yellow lines are usually recognized as the most convenient and inexpensive way to mark aisles and passageways.”

Also is known as “wide aisles,” conventional aisles are generally Between 12 and 13 feet Wide.

Aisle Width Guidelines

An average width of 36 inches Is acceptable in the industry. An aisle width of at least 3 feet wider than the largest equipment to be utilized should be implemented. For emergency exit points, minimum of 28 inches is the allowed width. (According To OSHA).

Subsection 3273(d), covering catwalks, requires that catwalks be No less than 18 inches wide And have at least 6 ½ feet of clear headroom.

An “opening” [in a wall/partition] is defined in §1926.500(b) as: A gap or void 30 inches (76 cm) or more high and 18 inches (48 cm) or more wide, in a wall or partition, through which employees can fall to a lower level.

As stated in OSH Regulations, if any personnel or contractors are at risk of falling 2 metres or more From a flat edge such as scaffolds, stairs, landings and etc, then you will need “edge protection” in place.

Wall openings that are Greater than 30” high and 18” wide Need to be protected with guardrails when the bottom of the opening is less than 36” above the working surface and the fall is more than 4′. Ladder openings need to be guarded with off-set guardrails or swinging gate must be provided.

A concrete walkway should be 4” thick, at a minimum. If you opt for less than 4”, you’ll experience more cracking sooner. Thicker concrete is always better, more stable, and has fewer cracks. It will also withstand weather and traffic better as 4” of concrete is much stronger than 3”.

Most sidewalks don’t need to be reinforced with rebar.

Rebar is a steel bar used to reinforce and strengthen concrete. The name comes from the term reinforcement bar and is typically used in thicker concrete sidewalks expected to support heavy trucks or machinery.

The thickness of concrete floor slabs supported directly on the ground shall be not less than 3¹/₂ Inches (89 mm).

So narrow aisle forklifts, order pickers and/or reach trucks are needed to get the job done.

• A typical aisle is at least 10.5 feet wide.
• Narrow aisles range from 8.5 to 10.5 feet wide.
• Very narrow aisles may be only 5 – 7 feet.

The aisles in a warehouse are known as The space between the racks. This is where the workers and machinery can move through. The aisles spaces in your racking will impact on the flow of the warehouse. As well as, the machinery that can be used within the warehouse.

The recommended minimum width for walkways is 36 inches. Walkways can be as wide as you wish.

702.1 General. A safe, continuous and unobstructed path of travel shall be provided from any point in a building or structure to the public way.

Exit access means That portion of an exit route that leads to an exit. An example of an exit access is a corridor on the fifth floor of an office building that leads to a two-hour fire resistance-rated enclosed stairway (the Exit).