Chapter 296-62 General occupational health standards.

(1) This chapter applies to all employers in health care facilities regardless of the setting that have employees with occupational exposure to hazardous drugs.(2) Chapter application.(a) The requirements in this rule only apply to the hazardous drugs being used in the workplace.…

Biological safety cabinet. A ventilated cabinet for compounding pharmaceutical ingredients, personnel, product, and environmental protection having an open front with inward airflow for personnel protection, downward high-efficiency air (HEPA)-filtered laminar airflow for product…

(1) Each health care facility covered under the scope of this chapter must develop and implement a written hazardous drugs control program. Elements of the hazardous drugs control program may be located in other documents such as the employer's accident prevention program or othe…

(1) Each health care facility covered under the scope of this chapter must conduct hazard assessments in order to determine the appropriate precautions to be taken. These assessments may be limited to the hazardous drugs for which there is reasonably anticipated occupational expo…

(1) Evaluate and implement appropriate engineering controls to eliminate or minimize employee exposure. Examples of engineering controls include, but are not limited to:(a) Closed system transfer devices.(b) Safer sharps devices.(c) Safety interlocks.(d) Ventilated cabinets.(2) V…

(1) When there is reasonably anticipated exposure to hazardous drugs each health care facility must conduct a PPE assessment and provide and ensure use of appropriate PPE in accordance with WAC 296-800-160, personal protective equipment (PPE), and chapter 296-842 WAC, Respirators…

(1) Receiving and storage.(a) Label hazardous drug containers in accordance with WAC 296-901-140 Hazard communication.(b) Store and transport hazardous drugs in a manner that minimizes the risk of breakage.(2) Preparation and administration.(a) Provide designated work areas for t…

(1) Establish procedures for cleaning and decontamination of areas and equipment where hazardous drugs are present.(2) Do not clean contaminated equipment in unventilated areas.(3) Clean work surfaces before and after each continuous activity and at the end of the work shift.[Sta…

Develop written spill response procedures in accordance with chapter 296-824 WAC Emergency response and WAC 296-800-150, first-aid summary for emergency washing requirements.Note:See chapter 296-824 WAC, Emergency response for requirements regarding response to spills that create…

(1) Provide effective hazardous drugs training to all employees with occupational exposure at the time of their initial job assignment and whenever a new hazardous drug or a new process related to handling a hazardous drug that the employees have not previously been trained about…

The department will work with stakeholders to implement this chapter by doing the following:(1) Establish a hazardous drugs advisory committee to discuss new NIOSH recommendations, scientific and technological developments and other unanticipated issues related to rule implementa…

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.500. WSR 23-23-164, § 296-62-510, filed 11/21/23, effective 1/1/24.]

(1) This section applies to surgical smoke exposures in hospitals, as defined in RCW 70.41.020, and ambulatory surgical facilities, as defined in RCW 70.230.010.(2) Exposures to surgical smoke in other health care settings and exposures to similar smokes, particulates, vapors, an…

The following definitions apply to this section:Smoke evacuation system. Equipment designed to capture and neutralize surgical smoke at the point of origin, before the smoke makes contact with the eyes or the respiratory tract of occupants in the room. Smoke evacuation systems ma…

(1) Employers must have a written surgical evacuation smoke program for any procedure that may generate surgical smoke.(2) The surgical smoke evacuation program must have the following elements:(a) Selection of surgical smoke evacuation systems.(b) Required use of a surgical smok…

(1) Employers must control employee exposure to surgical smoke with surgical smoke evacuations systems, as feasible.(2) Surgical smoke evacuation systems must capture and neutralize surgical smoke before it makes contact with the eyes or respiratory tracts of room occupants.(a) S…

(1) Chapter 296-62 WAC, Part R-1, is effective January 1, 2024.(2) WAC 296-62-51030 and 296-62-51040 do not apply to the following establishments until January 1, 2025:(a) Hospitals certified as critical access hospitals under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1395i-4;(b) Hospitals with fewer than …

Equipment cost reimbursement.(1) Subject to funding being made available by the legislature, the following hospitals may apply for reimbursement of costs for purchase and installation of surgical smoke evacuation equipment:(a) Hospitals certified as critical access hospitals unde…