Washington Administrative Code

The provisions of this part apply to specialized terminals.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040 and 49.17.050. WSR 86-03-064 (Order 86-02), § 296-56-60101, filed 1/17/86; WSR 85-01-022 (Order 84-24), § 296-56-60101, filed 12/11/84.]

(1) Employers must make sure every intermodal container is legibly and permanently marked with:(a) The weight of the container when empty, in pounds;(b) The maximum cargo weight the container is designed to carry, in pounds; and(c) The sum of the maximum weight of the container w…

Reserved.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040 and 49.17.050. WSR 85-01-022 (Order 84-24), § 296-56-60105, filed 12/11/84.]

(1) Employers must make sure tanks in terminal areas used for receiving or storing bailwater for recirculating into vessel holds in discharging operations are opened or ventilated to minimize contamination of water circulated to the vessel.(a) Bailwater tanks must be thoroughly d…

SummaryThis section applies to all personal protection equipment in the workplace.Employers responsibility: To protect employees from hazards in the workplace.Employers must meet the requirements…in this section:Eye protectionWAC 296-56-60109Respiratory protectionWAC 296-56-60110…

(1) Employers must provide eye protection equipment that complies with ANSI Z87.1, American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, edition 1989, revision 1998, or edition 2003 when employees perform work hazardous to the eyes.(a) Empl…

The respiratory protection requirements of chapter 296-842 WAC, Respirators, apply.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 05-20-055, § 296-56-60110, filed 10/3/05, effective 12/1/05; WSR 05-03-093, § 296-56-60110, filed 1/18/05, effective 3/1/05…

(1) Employers must make sure employees exposed to impact, falling or flying objects, or electric shocks or burns wear protective hats.(2) Employers must ensure that all protective helmets comply with any of the following consensus standards:(a) ANSI Z89.1-2009, American National …

(1) Employers must ensure that each affected employee wears protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects or objects piercing the sole.(2) Employers must ensure that all protective footwear complies with one o…

(1) Employers must meet the following requirements for protective clothing:(a) Employees performing work that requires special protective clothing must be directed by the employer to wear the necessary special protective clothing.(b) When necessary, protective clothing previously…

(1) Employers must provide the protective equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), used to comply with this part, at no cost to employees, except at provided by subsections (2) through (6) of this section.(2) Employers are not required to pay for nonspecialty saf…

(1) Employers must maintain the structural integrity of docks, piers, wharves, terminals and working surfaces.(2) Employers must conspicuously post maximum safe load limits, in pounds per square foot (kilograms per square meter), of floors elevated above ground level, and pier st…

The employer must ensure all employees are protected in accordance with the requirements in chapter 296-880 WAC, Unified safety standards for fall protection.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060, and chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 20-12-091, § 296-56-60119…

Important:No provision of this section may be construed to imply that an employer or employees are responsible for repair, construction or otherwise bringing into compliance facilities over which they have no control.(1) Employers must not allow employees to perform work on docks…

(1) Employers must not permit employees to board or leave any vessel, except a barge or river towboat, until the following requirements have been met:(a) Whenever practical a gangway of not less than 20 inches wide walking surface of adequate strength, maintained and secured must…

(1) Employers must meet the following requirements for vehicle protection:(a) Vehicle curbs, bull rails, or other effective barriers at least six inches (15.24 cm) in height and six inches in width, must be provided at the waterside edges of aprons and bulkheads, except where veh…

Employers must prominently post clearance heights where the height is insufficient for vehicles or equipment.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060, 70.54.480, and chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 26-07-053, s 296-56-60125, filed 3/17/26, effective 4/20/26. St…

(1) Employers must meet the following requirements for mechanically operated cargo doors:(a) Employers must guard cargo door counterweights.(b) Lift trucks and cranes must not be used to move mechanically operated doors except when necessary during repair to the doors. Ropes or o…

(1) Employers must provide guardrails meeting the requirements of WAC 296-56-60123(3) on all open sides of platforms and skids extending from piers, transit sheds or lofts and used for landing or hooking drafts. Alternate means, such as nets or safety belts and lifelines, may be …

(1) Employers must prohibit an elevator or escalator with a defect which affects safety from being used.(2) Employers must make sure elevator safety devices are not overridden or made inoperable.(3) Employers must thoroughly inspect elevators and escalators at intervals not excee…

(1) Employers must inspect manlifts monthly by a designated person. Safety switches must be checked weekly. Manlifts found to be unsafe must not be operated until repaired. Inspections must include at least the following:(a) Step fastenings;(b) Rails;(c) Rail supports and fasteni…

SummaryThis section applies to all electric manlifts in the workplace.Employers must meet the requirements…in this section:Manlifts—ElectricWAC 296-56-60135Hoistway enclosures and landingsWAC 296-56-60139Scope and applicationWAC 296-56-60141Hoistway gatesWAC 296-56-60143Elevator …

Employers must fully enclose hoistways or make sure they are enclosed on all landings to a height of six feet above the landing floor or six feet above highest working level or stair level adjacent to the hoistway. Perforated hoistway enclosures can be used where fire resistance …

WAC 296-56-60141 through 296-56-60171 apply to the installation, design, and use of all one man capacity, electric elevators subject to inspection under RCW 49.17.120.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040 and 49.17.050. WSR 86-03-064 (Order 86-02), § 296-56-60141, filed 1/17/86; WS…

(1) Employers may construct hoistway gates of wood slat, steel wire grill, expanded metal or solid material, providing all openings reject a two inch ball and resist a 250 pound horizontal thrust.(a) Steel wire and expanded metal gates must be of at least 13 gauge steel.(b) Wood …

(1) Employers must fully enclose elevator cars to car height or to a height of not less than six feet six inches whichever is greater. Elevator cars may be of perforated or solid material provided the material will withstand a horizontal thrust of 75 pounds without deflecting one…

Employers must provide elevator car doors on all elevators, except on fully enclosed hoistways equipped with hoistway gates and enclosed from the top of the hoistway opening to the ceiling on the landing side.(1) Car doors may be of solid or perforated construction and must be ca…

Employers must fully enclose all counterweights for their full length of travel except in closed hoistways where counterweight guide rails have been provided.(1) Counterweight enclosures must provide an inspection opening in the bottom of the enclosure large enough to provide for…

Employers must provide a minimum of two car guide rails. They must:(1) Extend at least six inches beyond the maximum travel of the car with buffers compressed.(2) Be securely fastened to a vertical supporting member for the full length of elevator travel.(3) Be not less than one …

Employers must make sure hoisting ropes are of good grade elevator traction wire rope and must:(1) Be at least two ropes of not less than three-eighths inch diameter providing a safety factor of five.(2) Be fastened by at least three U-type cable clamps with the U on the dead ret…

Employers must make sure there is no habitable space below the elevator hoistway and counterweight shaft unless the floor is designed to withstand an impact 125 percent greater than the impact generated by a free fall of either the car or counterweight from the full height of the…

Employers must equip all cars suspended or operated from overhead machinery with an approved car safety capable of stopping and holding the car with rated load.(1) Car safeties must operate mechanically and be independent of interruption of any electrical circuit.(2) Car safeties…

Employers must equip all elevators with brakes designed to engage mechanically and release electrically.(1) Brakes must be located on the final drive of all elevator machines.(2) The brake actuating circuit must be so designed that interruption of power by slack cable switch, con…

(1) Employers must make sure car controls are of automatic pushbutton, constant pressure pushbutton or momentary pushbutton types. Hand rope and car switch controls must not be used.(2) Employers must install manually operated emergency stop switches in all cars not equipped with…

(1) Employers must make sure elevator machines are driven by approved type units.(a) On direct drive or approved worm gear driven type, a mechanically actuated, electrically released brake must be installed on the driving unit.(b) On V belt driven types, a minimum of four belts, …

(1) Employers must provide elevator cars with adequate car buffers.(2) Employers must provide all elevators using a counterweight with adequate counterweight buffers.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060, 70.54.480, and chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 26-07-…

(1) Employers must provide adequate lighting at each landing and in the shaftway.(2) Employers must conspicuously post a sign within the car bearing the following information:(a) Maximum capacity one person;(b) Total load limit in pounds;(c) For authorized personnel use only.(3) …

SummaryThis section applies to the installation, design, and use of all one-man capacity, hand power counterweighted elevators subject to inspection under RCW 49.17.120.Employers responsibility: To protect workers from hazards associated with hand power manlifts in the workplace.…

WAC 296-56-60180 through 296-56-60207 apply to the installation, design, and use of all one man capacity, hand power counterweighted elevators subject to inspection under RCW 49.17.120.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040 and 49.17.050. WSR 86-03-064 (Order 86-02), § 296-56-60180,…

(1) Employers must protect every hoistway landing on all sides other than the landing opening side with a standard guard rail and intermediate guard rail. All landings except the bottom landing must have a toe board installed on all sides except the landing opening side.(2) Emplo…

(1) Employers must make sure the minimum clearance between the side of the car and a hoistway enclosure is one inch.(2) Employers must make sure the clearance between the car platform and the landing sill is not less than one-half inch and not more than one and one-half inches.[S…

Employers must make sure there is no habitable space below the elevator hoistway or counterweight shaft unless the floor is supported to withstand any impact caused by the car or counterweight dropping freely onto the floor.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.05…

(1) Employers must make sure there are a minimum of two opposing guide rails extending to a point six inches beyond the full height of travel of the car when the counterweight buffer is fully compressed.(2) Employers must make sure all rails are attached by bolts, lag screws or o…

Employers must install substantial spring buffers below the car and also below the counterweight. The hoisting rope must be of such length that the car platform will not be more than eight inches above the top landing when the counterweight buffer spring is fully compressed.[Stat…

(1) Employers must make sure the car is built to the following specifications:(a) The car platform is not greater than 30 inches on either side (6.25 square feet area).(b) The car frame and platform must be of steel or sound seasoned wood construction and be designed with a safet…

(1) Employers must make sure the assembly of sectional counterweights conforms to the following requirements:(a) Rectangular counterweights must be held together by at least two tie rods one-half inch in diameter fastened with lock washers and double nuts or other approved means.…

Employers must make sure the minimum sheave diameter is 40 times the diameter of the ropes used, i.e., 15 inch for three-eighths inch rope.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060, 70.54.480, and chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 26-07-053, s 296-56-60197, filed …

(1) Employers must make sure hoisting rope is of good grade traction elevator wire rope, and must:(a) Be not less than three-eighths inches in diameter.(b) Provide a safety factor of five based on the maximum weight supported.(c) Be of sufficient length to prevent the counterweig…

Employers must make sure the operating rope is of soft hemp or cotton at least three-quarter inch in diameter. It must be securely fastened at each end and must be in proper vertical alignment to prevent bending or cutting where it passes through the openings in the platform or t…

Employers must provide adequate lighting at each landing and in the shaftway.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060, 70.54.480, and chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 26-07-053, s 296-56-60203, filed 3/17/26, effective 4/20/26. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010…