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Hose and piping for temporary construction heaters

Summary A builders’ association asked about temporary heating equipment at construction sites. OSHA said hose had to be designed for 250 psi and kept as short as practical without heat damage. It also cited a prohibition on aluminum pipe or tubing.
Document
Federal opinion letter
Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Document number
1975-11-06
Date issued
November 6, 1975
Status
Active
Status last verified October 10, 2026
Topics
Workplace Safety OSHA 1926 Construction Heating Fire Safety
Source
View the official document

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About this page: The full text below is the official document from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.

November 6, 1975

Mr. Bernard A. Zahn
The Builders Exchange of Rochester, N.Y., Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Zahn:

This is in response to your letter requesting clarification of OSHA standards for temporary heating devices on construction sites. We shall respond to your questions in the same order as presented.

  1. See OSHA 1926.153 on page 22815 of the Federal Register dated June 24, 1974 Vol. 39 #122: also, note 1926.154 on page 22816.

  2. 1926.153(h)(7) specifies that "hose shall be designed for a working pressure of 250 PSIG". It further requires that hose be "as short as practicable" without being so close to a burner that it can be damaged by heat.

  3. The only specific mention of piping prohibits the use of aluminum pipe or tubing [see 1926.153(h)(6)].

  4. There is only the requirement that "hose length shall be as short as practicable" [see 1926.153(h)(7)].

We believe you have received all of the relevant OSHA literature including the above noted Federal Register; therefore, we are not duplicating those source materials.

Sincerely,
Alfred Barden
Assistant Regional Director
Occupational Safety and Health

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