I almost never write about construction safety matters as I do not practice in that safety arena. But lighting crosses all industrial sectors, and this effort by OSHA to recind the Construction Lighting standard(s): 1926.26 and 1926.56 is very puzzling to me.
29 CFR 1926.26 requires construction areas, aisles, stairs, ramps, runways, corridors, offices, shops, and storage areas where work is in progress to be lighted with either natural or artificial illumination.
29 CFR 1926.56 states that construction areas, ramps, runways, corridors, offices, shops, and storage areas must “be lighted to not less than the minimum illumination intensities listed” in a table. The table sets out minimum illumination intensities in foot candles for various areas of operation.
29 CFR 1926.56(a). For areas not covered by the table, the regulation directs employers to use the “American National Standard A11.1-1965, R1970, Practice for Industrial Lighting. 29 CFR 1926.56(b).
The requirements of 29 CFR 1926.56 are incorporated by reference in 29 CFR 1926.800, Underground Construction, and 29 CFR 1926.1204, Permit-required confined space program. The incorporation by reference is noted in 29 CFR 1926.6(e)(4), Incorporation by Reference.
OSHA proposes rescinding sections 1926.26 and 1926.56 in their entirety and removing all cross-references to those sections.
Source: https://www.regulations.gov/document/OSHA-2025-0040-0002