Washington Administrative Code

The following organizations provide smoking cessation information and program material:(1) The National Cancer Institute operates a toll-free Cancer Information Service (CIS) with trained personnel to help you. Call 1-800-4-CANCER* to reach the CIS office serving your area, or wr…

Scope. This standard applies to occupational exposures to chromium (VI) in all forms and compounds in general industry; construction; shipyards, marine terminals, and longshoring, except:(1) Agricultural operations covered by chapter 296-307 WAC, Safety standards for agriculture;…

For the purposes of this section the following definitions apply:Action level. A concentration of airborne chromium (VI) of 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (2.5 (mu)g/m\3\) calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).Chromium (VI) (hexavalent chromium or Cr(VI)). Ch…

Permissible exposure limit (PEL). The employer must ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of chromium (VI) in excess of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 (mu)g/m\3\), calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.1…

(1) General. Each employer who has a workplace or work operation covered by this section must determine the 8-hour TWA exposure for each employee exposed to chromium (VI). This determination must be made in accordance with either subsection (2) or (3) of this section.(2) Schedule…

Exemption:This section does not apply to construction, shipyards, marine terminals or longshoring.(1) Establishment. The employer must establish a regulated area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of chromium (VI) is, or can reasonably be expected to be, i…

(1) Engineering and work practice controls.(a) Except as permitted in (c) of this subsection, the employer must use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to chromium (VI) to or below the PEL unless the employer can demonstrate that such c…

(1) General. Where respiratory protection is required by this section, the employer must provide each employee an appropriate respirator that complies with the requirements of this chapter. Respiratory protection is required during:(a) Periods necessary to install or implement fe…

(1) Provision and use. Where a hazard is present or is likely to be present from skin or eye contact with chromium (VI), the employer must provide appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment at no cost to employees, and must ensure that employees use such clothing and …

(1) General.(a) General industry, shipyards, marine terminals and longshoring. Where protective clothing and equipment is required, the employer must provide change rooms in conformance with WAC 296-800-230, Sanitation and hygiene facilities and procedures. Where skin contact wit…

Exemption:This section does not apply to construction, shipyards, marine terminals and longshoring.(1) General. The employer must ensure that:(a) All surfaces are maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of chromium (VI).(b) All spills and releases of chromium (VI) cont…

(1) General.(a) The employer must make medical surveillance available at no cost to the employee, and at a reasonable time and place, for all employees:(i) Who are or may be occupationally exposed to chromium (VI) at or above the action level for thirty or more days a year;(ii) E…

(1) Hazard communication - General.(a) Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors, and employers must comply with all requirements of the hazard communication standard (HCS), WAC 296-901-140 for chromium (VI).(b) In classifying the hazards of chromium (VI) at least the follo…

(1) Air monitoring data.(a) The employer must maintain an accurate record of all air monitoring conducted to comply with the requirements of this section.(b) This record must include at least the following information:(i) The date of measurement for each sample taken;(ii) The ope…

(1) For employers with twenty or more employees, all obligations of this section, except engineering controls required by WAC 296-62-08013, commence November 27, 2006.(2) For employers with nineteen or fewer employees, all obligations of this section, except engineering controls …

[Order 73-3, § 296-62-090, filed 5/7/73; Order 70-8, § 296-62-090, filed 7/31/70, effective 9/1/70; Rule 9.010, effective 8/1/63.]

Noise. Unwanted sound or loud discordant or disagreeable sound or sounds.Nonionizing radiation. As related to industrial sources, means electromagnetic radiation within the spectral range of approximately 200 nanometers to 3 kilometers including ultraviolet, visible, infrared and…

(1) Definitions applicable to this section.Note:Definitions also appear in some subsections.(a) Radiation. Includes alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays, X-rays, neutrons, high-speed electrons, high-speed protons, and other atomic particles; but such term does not include sound or r…

(1) Introduction. Employees must be protected from exposure to hazardous levels of nonionizing radiation. Health standards have been established for ultraviolet, radiofrequency/microwave, and laser radiations which must be used to promote a healthful working environment. These st…

(1) Employees exposed to pressures above normal atmospheric pressure which may produce physiological injury must adhere to decompression schedules or other tables as are or may be adopted by the department of labor and industries: For example, state of Washington "safety standard…

Reasonable precautions must be taken to protect workmen against the hazardous effects of unavoidable exposure to vibrations.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 19-01-094, § 296-62-09009, filed 12/18/18, effective 1/18/19; Order 73-3, § 29…

Workmen subjected to temperature extremes, radiant heat, humidity, or air velocity combinations which, over a period of time, are likely to produce physiological responses which are harmful must be afforded protection by use of adequate controls, methods or procedures, or protect…

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 08-12-109, § 296-62-095, filed 6/4/08, effective 7/5/08.]

WAC 296-62-095 through 296-62-09560:(1) Applies to all employers with employees performing work in an outdoor environment.(2) Applies to outdoor work environments when employees are exposed to outdoor heat.(3) Does not apply to incidental exposure. Incidental exposure means an em…

(1) Acclimatization. The body's temporary adaptation to work in heat that occurs as a person is exposed to it over a period of seven to 14 days depending on the amount of recent work in the heat and the individual factors. Acclimatization can be lost after seven consecutive days …

(1) Employers of employees exposed to temperatures at or above those listed in Table 1 of this section must:(a) Address their outdoor heat exposure safety program in their written accident prevention program (APP), in a language that employees understand;(b) Ensure the outdoor he…

Employers of employees exposed to temperatures at or above those listed in Table 1 of WAC 296-62-09530 must:(1) Provide and maintain one or more areas with shade at all times while employees are present that are either open to the air or provided with ventilation or cooling, and …

(1) Keeping workers hydrated in a hot outdoor environment requires that more water be provided than at other times of the year. Federal OSHA and research indicate that employers should be prepared to supply at least one quart of drinking water per employee per hour. When employee…

Employers must closely observe employees for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness by implementing one or more of the close observation options under WAC 296-62-09547(2).(1) For 14 days when employees:(a) Are newly assigned to working at or above the applicable temperatures …

The employer must implement the following high heat procedures when the temperature is at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, unless engineering or administrative controls (such as air-conditioning or scheduling work at cooler times of the day) are used to lower employees' exposure b…

(1) Employers must ensure that effective communication by voice, observation, or electronic means is maintained so that employees at the work site and their supervisor can contact each other to report signs and symptoms of heat-related illness and get medical attention when neces…

(1) All employees and supervisors must be trained as required by this section prior to outdoor work where occupational exposure to heat might occur and at least annually after the initial training. Training must be provided in a language and manner the employee or supervisor unde…

Abrasive blasting is covered in chapter 296-818 WAC, Abrasive blasting.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 06-12-074, § 296-62-11015, filed 6/6/06, effective 9/1/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, [49.17].050 and [49.17].060. WSR 98-02-0…

(1) Definitions.(a) Spray-finishing operations. Employment of methods wherein organic or inorganic materials are utilized in dispersed form from deposit on surfaces to be coated, treated or cleaned. Such methods of deposit may involve either automatic, manual, or electrostatic de…

(1) Definition. A lack of sufficient oxygen is deemed to exist if the atmosphere at sea level has less than 19.5% oxygen by volume or has a partial pressure of oxygen of 148 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or less. This may deviate when working at higher elevations and should be d…

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-23-072, § 296-62-136, filed 11/19/07, effective 1/2/08.]

Ventilation shall mean the provision, circulation or exhausting of air into or from an area or space.Dilution ventilation. Inducing and mixing uncontaminated air with contaminated air in such quantities that the resultant mixture in the breathing zone will not exceed the permissi…

In addition to those mandatory controls as set forth in WAC 296-62-11019, chapter 296-818 WAC, Abrasive blasting, chapter 296-835 WAC, Dipping and coating operations (dip tanks), the Industrial Ventilation Manual of Recommended Practices as compiled and approved by the American C…

Adequate ventilation systems must be installed as needed to control concentrations of airborne contaminants below applicable threshold limit values.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 19-01-094, § 296-62-13615, filed 12/18/18, effective 1…

Exhaust from ventilation systems must discharge in such a manner that the contaminated air being exhausted will not present a health hazard to any workman or reenter buildings in harmful amounts.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 19-01-0…

Make-up air must be of ample quantity to replace the exhausted air and shall be tempered when necessary.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 19-01-094, § 296-62-13625, filed 12/18/18, effective 1/18/19; WSR 07-23-072, § 296-62-13625, filed…

Ventilation systems must be designed and operated in such a manner that employees will not be subjected to excessive air velocities.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 19-01-094, § 296-62-13630, filed 12/18/18, effective 1/18/19; WSR 07-2…

Make-up air systems must be designed and operated in such a manner that they will not interfere with the effectiveness of the exhaust air system.[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 19-01-094, § 296-62-13635, filed 12/18/18, effective 1/18…

(1) Scope and application.(a) This section, in its entirety, applies to the control of employee exposure to cotton dust in all workplaces where employees engage in yarn manufacturing, engage in slashing and weaving operations, or work in waste houses for textile operations.(b) Th…

(1) Sampling locations. The sampling procedures must be designed so that samples of the actual dust concentrations are collected accurately and consistently and reflect the concentrations of dust at the place and time of sampling. Sufficient number of six-hour area samples in eac…

appendix b-iRespiratory Questionnaireappendix b-iiRespiratory Questionnaire for Nontextile Workers for the Cotton Industryappendix b-iiiAbbreviated Respiratory Questionnaire[Statutory Authority: Chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 87-24-051 (Order 87-24), § 296-62-14537, filed 11/30/87.]

[Statutory Authority: Chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 87-24-051 (Order 87-24), § 296-62-14539, filed 11/30/87.]

The spirometric measurements of pulmonary function must conform to the following minimum standards, and these standards are not intended to preclude additional testing or alternate methods which can be determined to be superior.(1) Apparatus.(a) The instrument must be accurate to…

(a) Samples to be taken—In order to ascertain equivalency, it is necessary to collect a total of 100 samples from at least 10 sites in a mill. That is, there should be 10 replicate readings at each of 10 sites. The sites should represent dust levels which vary over the allowable …

Scope and application. This section applies to the control of employee exposure to coke oven emissions.[Order 77-14, § 296-62-200, filed 7/25/77.]