WAC 296-800-100
Introduction. The WISHA Core Rules:
Your foundation for a safe and healthful workplace. This book
contains 26 basic safety and health rules that affect all
employers and should cover almost everything small,
nonmanufacturing employers need for a safe and healthful
workplace. These core rules include requirements for your
Accident Prevention Program, personal protective equipment,
first aid, and hazard communication program.
Note: You may need to comply with other WISHA rules. For a complete list of WISHA rules, see the resources
section of this book.
Why does workplace safety and health matter to you?
On average, two people lose their lives every week in
job-related incidents in Washington state. Each year, more
than 250,000 workers' compensation claims are accepted for
work-related injuries and illnesses. Medical care and wage
replacement for these injured workers costs more than a
billion dollars. The indirect costs of workplace injuries are
even larger in terms of lost quality of life, personal
financial ruin, operating costs of business, and decreased
profitability. Employers and employees who work together to
identify and control hazards on the job can save lives and
money while improving business and productivity.
What are L&I and WISHA?
The department of labor and industries (L&I) is a state
agency that provides many different services:
• Workplace safety and health, including inspections and
enforcement, consultation, technical assistance, training,
education and grants. (WISHA)
• Workers' compensation (or industrial insurance),
including claims management, rate setting, medical payments,
and research.
• Specialty compliance services, including contractor
registration, electrical inspections, boiler and elevator
inspections, apprenticeship programs and employment standards.
Many of these services are available from L&I's
twenty-two regional offices (see the resource section of this
book for a list of regional offices).
In 1973, the legislature passed the Washington Industrial
Safety and Health Act or WISHA (Revised Code of Washington
(chapter 49.17 RCW)). WISHA requires employers to provide
safe and healthful workplaces for all employees. It gives L&I
the responsibility to establish and enforce workplace safety
and health rules. These rules are the Washington
Administrative Code (WAC).
How does WISHA work?
WISHA covers nearly all employers and employees in
Washington, including employees who work for the state,
counties, and cities. L&I inspectors enforce WISHA rules by
inspecting workplaces without advance notice including
investigations of work-related deaths, injuries, and
employees' complaints. When WISHA inspectors find a violation
in a workplace, they issue a citation to the employer and a
penalty may be attached. If you have questions about whether
you are covered by WISHA, call 1-800-4BE SAFE (1-800-423-7233)
or a local office of L&I.
What is OSHA and its relationship to WISHA?
The U.S. Congress created the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) in 1971 to develop and enforce
workplace safety and health rules throughout the country. States may choose to run their own safety and health programs
as long as they are at least as effective as OSHA. Washington
state has chosen to run its own program and most employers in
the state, therefore, are subject to enforcement by L&I and
not by federal OSHA.
In Washington state, OSHA covers workplaces with federal
employees, nonfederal employees working on federal
reservations and military bases, employees working on floating
worksites (floating dry docks, fishing boats, construction
barges), and employees working for tribal employers on tribal
lands.
Does WISHA apply to you?
WISHA applies to almost every employer and employee in
Washington. WISHA applies to you if:
• You hire someone to work for you as an employee,
including workers from a temporary agency.
• You are hired to work for someone as their employee.
• You own your own business or you are a corporate
officer and have elected industrial insurance coverage for
yourself.
• You have a contract with someone else that primarily
involves personal labor, even though you are not required to
pay industrial insurance or unemployment insurance premiums.
• You volunteer your personal labor, or you have
volunteers working for you who receive any benefit or
compensation.
If you have any questions about your particular
situation, call 1-800-4BE SAFE (1-800-423-7233) or contact
your local office of L&I for help. See the resource section
of this book for a complete list of L&I offices.
Are there other safety and health rules I need to know
about?
In addition to the rules in the WISHA Safety and Health
Core Rules book, there are other general WISHA rules that may
apply to employers, depending upon the industry and workplace
activities. See the resource section of this book for a
complete list of WISHA rules or go to the web site for all the
state rules administered by L&I at
http://www.wa.gov/lni/home/wacs.htm. If you have questions
about these rules or would like copies of them, call 1-800-4BE
SAFE (1-800-423-7233) or your local office of L&I.
How do the WISHA rules relate to fire, building and
electrical codes?
Fire codes: WISHA rules contain basic requirements for
portable fire extinguishers, exit routes, housekeeping,
storage, stairs and electrical hazards for the protection of
employees in your workplace. The rules contained in this book
are the most basic requirements to make sure that as an
employer you provide a safe and healthy work environment. However, these are not the only rules regarding the
requirements for portable fire extinguishers, exit routes,
housekeeping, storage, stairs and electrical equipment. The
fire marshal and local fire authorities enforce the Uniform
Fire Code (UFC). WISHA and UFC differ in some areas, for
example UFC requires exit sign lettering to be 6" or more and
WISHA only states that the letters have to be clearly visible.
Fire codes have more detailed and extensive requirements for
the protection of the public than WISHA. Some codes overlap
with WISHA requirements.
Building and electrical codes: WISHA rules are minimum
requirements regardless of when the building was built or
remodeled. Buildings must also comply with building and
electrical codes at the time of construction. If you remodel,
you must comply with the building and electrical codes
applicable at that time. Building authorities and electrical
inspection authorities enforce rules from the Uniform Building
Code (UBC), and the National Electrical Code (NEC).
You are encouraged to call your local fire, building or
electrical authority. For more information on the
requirements in your area look in the government section of
your phone book. Copies of these codes are available at your
local library.
How can WISHA help employers and employees?
Employers can ask WISHA safety and health consultation
staff for free, confidential consulting services in your
workplace. WISHA safety and health professionals can examine
your workplace and make recommendations about how to comply
with WISHA rules. If the consultant finds hazards, the
employer will be given a reasonable period of time to correct
the hazard without citation or penalty.
Sometimes you might have to wait for an appointment
because of the demand for these services. You still must
provide a safe workplace while you wait for a consultation.
WISHA offers a wide variety of free services:
• Safety and health workshops held in locations
throughout the state
• A comprehensive safety and health video lending library
• Safety and health publications geared for both employer
and employee
• Web site with on-line publications and learning
opportunities
Note:
By law, WISHA consultants do not have any enforcement authority.
Link: For more information, call 1-800-4BE SAFE
(1-800-423-7233) or visit
http://www.wa.gov/lni/home/training.htm.