WAC 296-860-20020   Construct and maintain rail yard walkways for employee safety.  

     Important:

     • You have two years from October 01, 2002, (the effective date of this rule), to comply with the construction requirements of this section, unless the department determines during an inspection that your walkways create a serious safety hazard.

     • If you are not sure a serious safety hazard exists in your workplace, you can request a free consultation from the department by calling your local L&I office.

     Construction of walkways

     You must:

     • Build walkways in rail yard areas where employees regularly work on the ground.

     • Construct rail yard walkways that can be maintained in a safe condition:

     – With reasonably smooth walking surfaces

     – That will not interfere with track drainage.

     • Use any of the following materials when constructing your walkway:

     – Crushed material that does not exceed 1 1/2 inches in size. For this rule, "1 1/2 inches in size" means one of the following (percentages refer to weight measurement and sieve size standard in the industry):

Percentage of material passing through a sieve opening					Sieve opening size
			100		1 1/2 inch square
	90	-	100		1 inch square
	40	-	80		3/4 inch square
	15	-	60		1/2 inch square
	0	-	30		3/8 inch square
	0	-	10		#4
	0	-	5		#8
	0	-	0.5		#200

     Smaller crushed material is preferred and should be used where drainage and durability is not an issue. Crushed material that is 3/4 inch or less in size is recommended for switching leads in yards.

     • Asphalt, concrete, planking, grating, or other similar material.

     • Natural materials such as gravel or dirt.

     You must:

     • Construct walkways wide enough for employees to safely perform their duties

     • Construct walkways with a grade or slope in any direction with not more than one inch of elevation for each eight inches of horizontal length, unless it is geographically impractical.

     Maintenance of walkways

     You must:

     • Keep all walkways clear of vegetation, debris, mud, or other obstructions that create a potential hazard for employees.

     • Remove all standing water from all walkways as soon as reasonably possible.

     • Reopen walkways temporarily closed for a construction project within thirty days after the project is completed.

     You must:

     • Repair walkways that have been damaged and temporarily closed because of an emergency within thirty days after the emergency ends.

     Definition:

     Emergency: Any unforeseen occurrence endangering life, limb, or property.

     • Obtain a department variance before permanently removing any bridge or trestle walkway from use after October 1, 2002 (the effective date of this rule).

Note:

The requirements for filing a variance are located in the Safety and health core rules and chapter 296-900 WAC, Administrative rules.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. 07-03-163, § 296-860-20020, filed 1/24/07, effective 4/1/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010,[49.17].040 , and [49.17].050. 02-17-106, § 296-860-20020, filed 8/21/02, effective 10/1/02.]