WAC 296-54-531
Truck roads. (1) Haul road grades must
not exceed 20 percent unless:
(a) Special equipment and safety measures are used to
accommodate the steep grade; or
(b) The logging equipment or truck is specifically
designed and approved by the manufacturer for operation on
grades over twenty percent.
(2) Truck road surfaces must meet the following
requirements:
(a) Truck roads are wide enough and even to ensure the
safe operation of equipment.
(b) Hazards such as broken planking, deep holes, large
rocks, logs, etc., that make equipment operation unsafe, must
be immediately corrected.
(c) On blind curves, one of the following must be
implemented:
(i) Truck roads are wide enough for two trucks to pass;
(ii) A signal system is maintained; or
(iii) Speed is limited so that the vehicle can be stopped
in one-half the visible distance.
(3) For all portions of roads under the direct control of
the employer, the employer must ensure that:
(a) All danger trees are fell a safe distance back from
the roadway;
(b) Rocks that present a hazard are cleared from banks;
and
(c) Brush and other materials that obstruct the view at
intersections or on sharp curves are cleared.
(4) All bridge structures used in the logging operation
must meet the following requirements:
(a) Structures are adequate to support the maximum
imposed loads without exceeding the maximum safe working unit
stresses;
(b) Bridges have an adequate number of reflectors to
clearly define the entrance to the bridge;
(c) Structures are maintained in good condition and
repair;
(d) Structures are inspected at least annually by a
qualified authorized person; and
(e) A record maintained of each inspection must be
available to a representative of the department on request.
(5) Shear rails must be installed on both outside edges
of bridges. The shear rails must be securely fastened and
made of material able to withstand the impact generated by
contact with the wheels of a loaded vehicle. The top of shear
rails must be at least fifteen inches above the bridge
surface. Bridges in use before 1980 with outside shear rails
a minimum of ten inches high or center shear rails at least
five inches high are permissible until repairs are needed.
(6) The employer must implement measures that minimize
dust to the degree that visibility is sufficient to allow an
operator to safely operate a vehicle. Vehicle operators must
travel at a speed consistent with road conditions.
(7) Pneumatic-tired equipment must have fenders as
described in the Society of Automotive Engineers Technical
Report J321a.
(8) Employee(s) must be assigned to flag on roads or
provide other equivalent protection where hazardous conditions
are created from logging such as but not limited to:
(a) Running wire rope lines or rigging across road
grades, excluding guylines and standing skylines if lines
remain a safe distance above the road to allow a vehicle to
pass under; or
(b) The movement of logs, chunks, or debris across or
suspended over road grades.
EXCEPTION:
Where there is no through traffic, such as on a dead end road or where the property owner's permission or proper authority is
granted to close a section of road, warning signs and barricades may be used instead of flagger(s).