Washington Administrative Code

Guarded by location. That the location of a component eliminates potential hazards. A component seven feet or more above a working surface is considered guarded by location.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 20-21-091, § 296-307-28004, f…

(1) All power transmission components must be guarded according to the requirements of this section.(2) The employer must protect employees from coming into contact with moving machinery parts by:(a) A guard or shield or guarding by location; or(b) A guardrail or fence whenever a…

Flywheels. Include flywheels, balance wheels, and flywheel pulleys mounted and revolving on crankshaft of engine or other shafting.Prime movers. Include steam, gas, oil, and air engines, motors, steam and hydraulic turbines, and other equipment used as a source of power.(1) Unles…

Revolving shafts must be guarded by a standard safeguard unless guarded by location.(1) All shafting must be secured against excessive end movement.(2) Guarding horizontal shafting.(a) Unless guarded by location, all exposed parts of horizontal shafting, must be enclosed in a gua…

(1) Unless guarded by location, pulleys must be guarded according to WAC 296-307-28046 and 296-307-28050 through 296-307-28060. Pulleys serving as balance wheels (e.g., punch presses) on which the point of contact between belt and pulley is more than 6 feet 6 inches from the floo…

Belts. Include all power transmission belts, such as flat belts, round belts, V-belts, etc., unless otherwise specified.(1) Where both runs of horizontal belts are 7 feet or less from the floor level, the guard must extend to at least 15 inches above the belt or to a standard hei…

(1) Unless guarded by location, overhead horizontal belts must be guarded on the sides and bottom according to WAC 296-307-28054.(2) Unless guarded by location, horizontal overhead belts must be guarded for their entire length when:(a) Located over passageways or work places and …

(1) Vertical and inclined belts must be guarded according to WAC 296-307-28044 and 296-307-28050 through 296-307-28060.(2) All guards for inclined belts must provide a minimum clearance of 7 feet between belt and floor at any point outside of the guard.(3) A vertical or inclined …

(1) The cone belt and pulley must have a belt shifter that adequately guards the nip point of the belt and pulley. If the frame of the belt shifter does not adequately guard the nip point of the belt and pulley, the nip point must be protected by a vertical guard in front of the …

(1) Suspended counterbalanced belt tighteners and all components must be substantially constructed and securely fastened. The bearings must be securely capped. The employer must provide a mechanism to prevent the tightener from falling in case the belt breaks.(2) Unless guarded b…

(1) Gears must be guarded by one of the following methods:(a) A complete enclosure; or(b) A standard guard according to WAC 296-307-28050 through 296-307-28060, at least 7 feet high extending 6 inches above the mesh point of the gears; or(c) A band guard covering the face of gear…

When exposed to contact, the driving point of all friction drives must be guarded. All arm or spoke friction drives and all web friction drives with holes in the web must be entirely enclosed. When exposed to contact, all projecting belts on friction drives must be guarded.[Statu…

(1) All projecting keys, set screws, and other projections in revolving parts must be removed, or made flush, or guarded by metal covers.(2) Projections, such as exposed bolts, keys, or set screws that are part of sprockets, grooved pulleys or pulleys on stationary equipment must…

(1) All revolving collars, including split collars, must be cylindrical.(2) Screws or bolts used in collars must not project beyond the largest periphery of the collar.(3) Shaft couplings must be constructed to prevent hazard from bolts, nuts, set screws, or revolving surfaces. B…

The department recommends the employer use self-lubricating bearings. All drip cups and pans must be securely fastened.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 20-21-091, § 296-307-28038, filed 10/20/20, effective 11/20/20. WSR 97-09-013, reco…

(1) Unless guarded by location, clutches, cutoff couplings, or clutch pulleys with projecting parts must be enclosed by a stationary guard constructed according to WAC 296-307-28046. The employer may use a "U" type guard.(2) In enginerooms, a guardrail, preferably with toeboard, …

Belt pole (sometimes called a belt shipper or shipper pole). A device used in shifting belts on and off fixed pulleys on line or countershaft where there are no loose pulleys.(1) Tight and loose pulleys must have a permanent belt shifter with a mechanical means to prevent the bel…

(1) Standard guards must be made of the following materials:(a) Expanded metal;(b) Perforated or solid sheet metal;(c) Wire mesh on a frame of angle iron; or(d) Iron pipe securely fastened to the floor or the frame of the machine.(2) Wire mesh should have wires that are securely …

(1) Guards must be free from burrs, sharp edges, and sharp corners.(2) Expanded metal, sheet or perforated metal, and wire mesh must be securely fastened to the frame by one of the following methods:(a) Rivets or bolts spaced not more than five inches center to center. In case of…

(1) A disk guard must have a sheet-metal disk of at least No. 22 gauge fastened by U-bolts or rivets to the spokes of pulleys, flywheels, or gears. To prevent contact with sharp edges of the disk, the edge must be rolled or wired. In all cases, the nuts must have locknuts on the …

The materials and dimensions specified in this section apply to all guards. The materials and dimensions specified are minimum requirements. The employer may choose to provide stronger guards.Exception:Horizontal overhead belts, rope, cable, or chain guards more than 7 feet above…

Wood guards may be used where fumes would cause rapid deterioration of metal guards and outdoors where extreme cold or extreme heat make metal guards and railings undesirable.(1) Wood must be sound, tough, and without loose knots.(2) Guards must be made of planed lumber not less …

(1) Guards for horizontal overhead belts must run the entire length of the belt and follow the line of the pulley to the ceiling or extend to the nearest wall.Exception:Where belts are located so that it is impractical to extend the guard to wall or ceiling, the guard must comple…

(1) Overhead belt guards must be at least one-quarter wider than the belt they protect, with a maximum clearance of 6 inches on each side. Overhead rope-drive and block and roller-chain-drive guards must be at least 6 inches wider than the drive on each side.(2) Overhead silent c…

(1) Overhead-rope and chain-drive guard construction must meet the requirements for overhead-belt guard construction of similar width.Exception:The filler material must be solid, according to Table P-2, unless fire hazard demands the use of open construction.(2) A side guard memb…

(1) A guardrail used to guard power transmission parts must be 42 inches tall, with a midrail between the top rail and the floor.(2) Posts must be 8 feet apart or less. They must be permanent and substantial, smooth, and free from protruding nails, bolts, and splinters. If made o…

(1) Shafting must be kept in alignment, and free from rust and excess oil or grease.(2) Where explosives, explosive dusts, flammable vapors or flammable liquids exist, guards must take into account the hazard of static sparks from shafting.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.…

(1) Pulleys must be kept in proper alignment to prevent belts from running off.(2) Any pulley carrying a nonshifting belt should have a crowned face.(3) Cast-iron pulleys should be tested frequently with a hammer to detect cracks in rim or spokes. The sound is different depending…

(1) Quarter-twist belts without an idler can be used on drives running in one direction only. They will run off a pulley when direction is reversed.(2) The employer must inspect belts, lacings, and fasteners to be sure they are kept in good repair.(3) Dressing should not be appli…

(1) The employer must inspect all power-transmission equipment at least every sixty days and ensure that it is kept in good working condition at all times.(2) Bearings must be kept in alignment and properly adjusted.(3) Hangers must be inspected to ensure that all supporting bolt…

[WSR 97-09-013, recodified as § 296-307-290, filed 4/7/97, effective 4/7/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, [49.17.]050 and [49.17.]060. WSR 96-22-048, § 296-306A-290, filed 10/31/96, effective 12/1/96.]

Augers. Screw conveyors and related accessories designed primarily for conveying agricultural materials on farms.(1) Power take-off shafts must be guarded according to WAC 296-307-28046.(2) All augers must be covered or guarded when exposed to contact.(3) The employer must ensure…

The employer must ensure that auger conveying equipment manufactured after October 25, 1976, is guarded as follows:(1) Sweep-arm material-gathering mechanisms used on the top surface of materials within silo structures are guarded. The lower or leading edge of the guard is no mor…

[WSR 97-09-013, recodified as § 296-307-300, filed 4/7/97, effective 4/7/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, [49.17.]050 and [49.17.]060. WSR 96-22-048, § 296-306A-300, filed 10/31/96, effective 12/1/96.]

WAC 296-307-300 applies to the guarding and care of farmstead equipment.Farmstead equipment. Agricultural equipment normally used in a stationary manner. This includes, but is not limited to, materials handling equipment and accessories for such equipment whether or not the equip…

(1) The employer must ensure that all power takeoff shafts, including rear-mounted, mid-mounted or side-mounted shafts, are guarded either by a master shield or by other protective guarding. The master shield must be strong enough to prevent damaging the shield when a 250-pound o…

(1) All power transmission parts must be guarded according to WAC 296-307-280.(2) Smooth shafts and shaft ends (without any projecting bolts, keys, or set screws) may be unguarded if they:(a) Revolve at less than 10 RPM; and(b) Are part of feed handling equipment used on the top …

The following functional components must be shielded to a degree consistent with the intended function and operator's vision of the component:(1) Snapping or husking rolls;(2) Straw spreaders and choppers;(3) Cutterbars;(4) Flail rotors;(5) Rotary beaters;(6) Mixing augers;(7) Fe…

(1) Guards, shields and access doors must be in place when the equipment is in operation.(2) Where removal of a guard or access door will expose an employee to any component that continues to rotate after the power is disengaged, the employer must provide in the immediate area, a…

(1) The employer must ensure that only the employee maintaining or servicing equipment has control of the electrical power source by:(a) Providing an exclusive, positive locking means on the main switch that can be operated only by the employee performing the maintenance or servi…

(1) The employer must ensure that carton or bag stitching machines are properly safeguarded to prevent anyone from coming in contact with the stitching head and other pinch or nip points.(2) The point of operation of all machines must be guarded. The guard must be designed and co…

[WSR 97-09-013, recodified as § 296-307-320, filed 4/7/97, effective 4/7/97. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, [49.17.]050 and [49.17.]060. WSR 96-22-048, § 296-306A-320, filed 10/31/96, effective 12/1/96.]

(1) WAC 296-307-320 covers the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment in which the unexpected start up of the machine or equipment or release of stored energy could cause injury to employees. This standard establishes minimum performance requirements for the control …

(1) WAC 296-307-320 does not apply to work on cord and plug connected electric equipment when:(a) Unexpected energization or start up of the equipment is controlled by unplugging the equipment from the energy source; and(b) The plug is under the exclusive control of the employee …

Affected employee. An employee who uses a machine or equipment while it is serviced or maintained under lockout or tagout, or who works where such servicing or maintenance is being performed.Authorized employee. A person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment in order to…

The employer must establish a written energy control program consisting of:(1) An energy control procedure;(2) Employee training; and(3) Periodic inspections.The purpose of the program is to ensure that before any employee services or maintains a machine or equipment where the un…

(1) If an energy isolating device is not capable of being locked out, the employer's energy control program must use a tagout system.(2) If an energy isolating device is capable of being locked out, the employer's energy control program must use lockout unless a tagout system wil…

(1) The employer must ensure that when a tagout device is used on an energy isolating device that is capable of being locked out, the tagout device is attached at the same location that the lockout device would have been attached. The employer must also ensure that the tagout pro…

(1) The employer must develop, document, and use procedures to control potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in activities covered by this section.Exception:The employer is exempt from documenting procedures for a particular machine or equipment only when all of…

(1) The employer must provide locks, tags, chains, wedges, key blocks, adapter pins, self-locking fasteners, or other hardware for isolating, securing, or blocking machines or equipment from energy sources.(2) Lockout and tagout devices must be singularly identified; must be the …