Washington Administrative Code

IMPORTANT:DOSH currently uses the IDLH values in the 1990 NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards to determine the existence of IDLH conditions. You may use more recent editions of this guide. Visit www.cdc.gov/niosh for more information.(1) Provide at least two standby employees …

(1) Make sure that all SCBAs and air-line respirators are provided with safe breathing air and oxygen.(2) Compressed breathing air must meet the following specifications for Grade D air:(a) Oxygen (volume/volume) within 19.5-23.5%(b) Hydrocarbon (condensed): NO MORE than five mil…

(1) Use SCBA and air-line respirators safely:DO NOT supply compressed oxygen to SCBAs or air-line respirators that previously used compressed air.Note:Compressed air leaves residues containing hydrocarbons such as oil or grease. Fire or explosion can occur if compressed oxygen ma…

IMPORTANT:1. Ambient-air movers (or pumps) used to supply air to respirators must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions.2. Respirators used with ambient-air movers must be approved by NIOSH to operate within the pressure ranges of the air mover.(1) Locate or modify…

Make sure the NIOSH certification labeling and color-coding on air-purifying respirator filters, cartridges, and canisters remains readable and intact during use.Link:Color-coding specifications for manufacturers can be found in Title 42 C.F.R., Part 84. Visit www.cdc.gov/niosh.[…

Use the medical questionnaire in Table 10 when conducting medical evaluations.Note:1. You may use a physical exam instead of this questionnaire if the exam covers the same information as the questionnaire. 2. You may use online questionnaires if the questions are the same and the…

IMPORTANT:1. This section contains procedural requirements that apply during actual fit testing.2. See WAC 296-842-15005 of this chapter for fit-testing requirements that apply to your overall program.Exemptions:This section does NOT apply to employees who: 1. Voluntarily use res…

Follow the procedure in Table 20 for cleaning and disinfecting respirators.Table 20Respirator Cleaning ProcedureStepTask1.Remove filters, cartridges, canisters, speaking diaphragms, demand and pressure valve assemblies, hoses, or any components recommended by the manufacturer. • …

Make sure employees perform a user seal check as outlined in Table 21 each time the respirator is worn, to make sure the seal is adequate.IMPORTANT:1. User seal checks are NOT a substitute for fit tests. See WAC 296-842-22010 for fit test procedures.2. You may use a seal check pr…

Buddy system. A system of organizing employees into work groups so that each employee is assigned to observe another employee in the same work group. The purpose of this system is to provide rapid assistance to employees in the event of an emergency.Clean-up operation. An operati…

This chapter applies if you have any of the following:(1) Employees working in operations involving hazardous waste at a treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facility required to have a permit or interim status AND regulated by any of the following:(a) 40 C.F.R. Parts 264 and 2…

Your responsibility:To conduct evaluations before entering the site and periodically throughout the hazardous waste operations.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Complete a preliminary site evaluation before allowing employees to enter the siteWAC 296-843-11005Cond…

You must complete a preliminary site evaluation by doing all the following:Collect or develop the following information to the extent available:•The site location and approximate size•A description of the response activity and the job tasks to be performed•The time needed to cove…

(1) You must have a qualified person complete further evaluation of health and safety hazards at the site immediately after initial entry to:(a) Identify site hazards in more detail.(b) Help select appropriate:(i) Control methods to protect employees from site hazards.(ii) Person…

Your responsibility:To establish a written health and safety plan (HASP).You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Develop and maintain a written site-specific health and safety plan (HASP)WAC 296-843-12005[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.…

Reference:If your overall program required under WAC 296-800-140 Accident prevention program (APP), meets requirements of this chapter, you do not need to duplicate those portions of your APP in the site-specific health and safety plan (HASP).(1) You must develop a written HASP f…

Your responsibility:To conduct monitoring for health and safety hazards to protect employees.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Conduct monitoring for health and safety hazards during initial site entryWAC 296-843-13005Evaluate employee exposure to hazardous substa…

(1) You must make visual observations of the site to detect signs of actual or potential immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) or other dangerous conditions.(2) You must conduct representative air monitoring with direct reading test equipment, when the preliminary site e…

IMPORTANT:The clean-up operation begins when soil, surface water, or containers are moved or disturbed.(1) You must identify the type of personnel monitoring and environmental sampling you plan to use, including instrumentation.(2) You must include requirements for maintaining an…

Your responsibility:To establish a plan to control access to the site.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Establish a site control planWAC 296-843-14005[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 18-22-116, § 296-843-140, filed 11/6…

(1) You must maintain site work zones and site control as required by Table 1, Site Work Zone Requirements.(2) You must control access to the exclusion and contamination reduction zones.(3) You must make sure people wear personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate to their wo…

Your responsibility:To make sure the necessary facilities and equipment for effective decontamination are available and used.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Establish and implement decontamination procedures before any worker or equipment enters a contaminated a…

You must establish, implement, and communicate decontamination procedures to all workers, to include the following:(1) Standard operating procedures to minimize worker contact with:(a) Hazardous substances.(b) Contaminated equipment.(2) Decontaminating all:(a) Workers leaving a c…

(1) You must provide changing areas and showers outside a contaminated area, when needed for worker decontamination, that include at least the following:(a) Separate changing areas:(i) One to provide a clean area where employees can remove, store, and put on street clothing with …

You must provide adequate washing facilities to employees working in hazardous waste operations that are:(1) Close and convenient to the work area.(2) Located in areas where employee exposure is below PELs or other published exposure levels.(3) Equipped so an employee can remove …

Your responsibility:To establish an emergency response plan for emergencies at the hazardous waste site.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Establish an emergency response plan for anticipated emergencies before beginning hazardous waste operationsWAC 296-843-16005[…

Exemption:Employers are exempt from preparing an emergency response plan if they do ALL of the following: 1. Evacuate all employees from the danger area during an emergency. 2. Prohibit employees from assisting in the emergency response. 3. Prepare an emergency action plan that c…

Your responsibility:Implement feasible controls to protect employees from exposure to site hazards.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Control employee exposure to site health and safety hazardsWAC 296-843-17005[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.0…

(1) You must use feasible controls, selected based on monitoring and other available information, to protect employee exposure above permissible exposure limits (PELs) or other published exposure levels.Examples of controls include:(a) Installing pressurized cabs or control booth…

Your responsibility:To handle drums and containers in ways that minimize the hazard to employees.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Handle drums and containers safelyWAC 296-843-18005Handle drums and containers suspected of containing shock-sensitive (explosive) wa…

Preparation for moving drums and containers:(1) You must assess hazards to employees, such as radioactive waste, before handling drums and containers.(2) You must consider unlabeled drums and containers to contain hazardous substances and handle them accordingly, until the conten…

(1) You must allow only essential employees in the transfer area.(2) You must communicate as follows:(a) Signal the beginning and end of shock-sensitive (explosive) waste handling activities with an alarm system that is capable of being perceived above background light and noise.…

(1) You must keep employees who are not involved in opening drums or containers a safe distance from the opening area.(2) You must use appropriate shielding between the employee and the drums or containers, when excess interior pressure cannot be relieved from a remote location.(…

(1) You must identify and classify drum and container contents prior to packaging for shipment.(2) You must provide staging areas:(a) Each staging area must have adequate entry and exit routes.(b) The number of drum or container staging areas must be kept to the minimum needed to…

Your responsibility:To use PPE to protect employees when feasible controls do not remove the hazardous exposure.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Provide and use appropriate PPEWAC 296-843-19005Reference:For additional information about developing a PPE plan, see …

Reference:See WAC 296-843-110 Evaluations and inspections, found in this chapter, for more information about how to identify hazards and complete your preliminary site evaluation.(1) You must make sure the PPE you provide and use for initial entry protects employees from known or…

Your responsibility:To make sure employees and subcontractors have the training and information needed to work safely.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Inform workers, contractors and subcontractors about the hazardous waste siteWAC 296-843-20005Train workers, sup…

(1) You must inform employees, contractors, and subcontractors or their representatives, about:(a) The nature, level, and degree of exposure to hazardous substances they're likely to encounter.(b) All site-related emergency response procedures.(c) Any identified potential fire, e…

IMPORTANT:1. The eighty-hour training requirement does NOT apply to law enforcement personnel entering illicit drug labs, securing the premises, and obtaining evidence. Attendance at a forty-hour training course, such as presented by the criminal justice training commission, is a…

(1) You must make sure the following receive appropriate training:(a) On-site managers.(b) Supervisors responsible for hazardous waste operations.(c) Supervisors who directly supervise employees in hazardous waste operations.(2) You must make sure such supervisors and on-site man…

(1) You must provide workers who participate only in limited postemergency response clean-up operations with a minimum of eight hours of training, when these conditions are met:(a) Cleanup is at a site that is a hazardous waste operation only because of an emergency response.(b) …

(1) You must certify and document annually that each manager, supervisor, and worker has either:(a) Attended and successfully completed the training required by this section; or(b) Demonstrated their competency.(2) You must record and maintain the method used to demonstrate compe…

You must make sure all certified employees, supervisors, and managers receive eight hours of refresher training at least every twelve months that covers:(1) The topics specified in WAC 296-843-200.(2) Assessments or evaluations of work-related incidents.(3) Any other relevant top…

(1) You must use trainers that have demonstrated competent instructional skills; and(2) Demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter and have either:(a) Satisfactorily completed a training program in the subject; or(b) Have the academic credentials and instructional experience nee…

Your responsibility:To provide medical surveillance for employees that work in hazardous waste operations.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Provide medical surveillance for your employeesWAC 296-843-21005[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, a…

(1) You must establish a medical surveillance plan for all employees who meet any of the following:(a) Are or may be exposed to hazardous substances or health hazards for at least thirty days a year, at or above the permissible exposure limits (PELs) or other published exposure l…

Your responsibility:To keep records and make them accessible to employees.You must meet the requirements ...in this section:Make your records accessibleWAC 296-843-22005Keep medical surveillance records for your employeesWAC 296-843-22010[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17…

You must allow your written health and safety plan (HASP) and all other written plans required by this chapter to be inspected and copied by:(1) Employees or their designated representative.(2) Site contractors or their designated representatives.(3) Subcontractors or their desig…

(1) You must keep medical surveillance records for each affected employee that include:(a) The employee's name and Social Security number.(b) Physicians' written opinions including recommended limitations and results of examinations and tests.(c) Any employee medical complaints r…

Action level. An airborne concentration of inorganic arsenic of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of air calculated as an eight-hour time-weighted average.Authorized personnel. Individuals specifically permitted by the employer to enter the exposure control area to perform dut…