Transcription of DOSH Compliance Manual
1 Preface - Disclaimer DOSH Compliance Manual March 15, 2022 Disclaimer This Manual is intended to provide guidance regarding some of the internal operations of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, and is solely for the benefit of the Government. No duties, rights, or benefits, substantive or procedural, are created or implied by this Manual . The contents of this Manual are not enforceable by any person or entity against the Department of Labor and Industries or the state of Washington. Guidelines which reflect current Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals or court precedents do not necessarily indicate acquiescence with those precedents.
2 Chapter RCW, known as the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) gives the Director of the Department of Labor and Industries the authority and responsibility for administration of Washington State's workplace safety and health program. RCW gives the Assistant Director of DOSH Services (statutorily titled Supervisor of Industrial Safety and Health ) the authority to perform those duties delegated by the Director and charged by statute (Chapter RCW, the WISH Act). Preface - Disclaimer BLANK PAGE FOR 2-SIDED PRINTING CONVENIENCE March 15, 2022 TOC-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: ADMINISTRATIVE AND PRE-INSPECTION PROCEDURES A. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES.
3 1-1 Assistant Director .. 1-1 Deputy Assistant Director .. 1-1 Statewide Compliance Manager .. 1-1 Regional Compliance Manager.. 1-1 Compliance Supervisor .. 1-1 a. Quality Assurance .. 1-2 b. Accompanied Inspections .. 1-2 c. Spot Checks .. 1-2 Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) .. 1-3 a. Documentation and Abatement of Violations .. 1-3 b. Testimony .. 1-3 Support Staff .. 1-4 B. TYPES AND SCOPE OF INSPECTIONS .. 1-4 Types of Inspections .. 1-4 a. Unprogrammed .. 1-4 b. Unprogrammed Related .. 1-5 c. Programmed .. 1-5 d. Programmed Related.. 1-5 Scope of Inspection .. 1-6 a. Comprehensive .. 1-6 b. Partial .. 1-6 c.
4 Examples of When to Expand a Partial 1-6 Coordinated and Joint Inspections .. 1-7 a. Coordinated .. 1-7 b. Joint .. 1-7 C. INSPECTION SCHEDULING .. 1-7 Inspection Scheduling Criteria .. 1-7 a. Consultation .. 1-7 b. Employer Requests .. 1-7 c. Imminent danger .. 1-7 March 15, 2022 TOC-2 Inspection Priorities .. 1-7 a. Order of Priority .. 1-7 b. Follow-Up Inspections .. 1-8 Home-Based Worksites .. 1-8 a. Home Offices .. 1-8 b. Other Home-Based Operations .. 1-8 D. INSPECTION PREPARATION .. 1-8 Pre-inspection Planning .. 1-8 a. Schedule Planning .. 1-8 b. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) .. 1-8 c. Background and File Review.
5 1-8 Coordination with DOSH Consultation .. 1-9 a. When a Consultation Visit is Scheduled or In Progress .. 1-9 b. Unprogrammed Compliance Inspection to be Conducted .. 1-9 c. Multi-Employer Worksite .. 1-9 d. Deferral from Programmed Inspections .. 1-10 Obtaining Expert Assistance for an Inspection .. 1-10 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) .. 1-10 Respirators .. 1-10 Safety and Health Rules of the Employer .. 1-11 Advance Notice of Inspections is Prohibited .. 1-11 a. Advance Notice .. 1-11 b. Rationale .. 1-11 c. Conditions for Advance Notice .. 1-11 d. Documentation .. 1-12 Preemption/Jurisdiction by Another Agency .. 1-12 a. Agreements with Other Agencies.
6 1-12 b. Clarifying Issues of Jurisdiction .. 1-12 c. DOSH Referral to Appropriate Agency .. 1-12 d. Jurisdictional Questions .. 1-12 e. Citation and Penalty Cleared with DOSH Central Office .. 1-12 f. Inspection on Federal Lands .. 1-12 g. Fatality Catastrophe Investigations .. 1-13 APPENDIX 1A: WISHA JURISDICTION AND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS .. 1-14 March 15, 2022 TOC-3 CHAPTER 2: COMPLAINTS AND REFERRALS A. CLASSIFYING COMPLAINTS AND REFERRALS .. 2-1 Who Can File a Formal Complaint .. 2-1 What is Considered an Informal Complaint .. 2-1 What is Considered a Referral .. 2-2 Reports of Hospitalization and Incidents .. 2-2 B. RETALIATION .. 2-2 C. CONFIDENTIALITY.
7 2-3 When Confidentiality Applies .. 2-3 How to Provide Confidentiality .. 2-3 Informal Complaints and Referrals Are Not Confidential .. 2-3 D. EVALUATING COMPLAINTS OR REFERRALS .. 2-4 E. INVESTIGATING/INSPECTING COMPLAINTS OR REFERRALS .. 2-5 Timeline for Responding to Complaints or Referrals .. 2-5 Untimely Allegations of Hazards or Violations .. 2-5 Responding to Alleged Imminent Danger Conditions .. 2-5 Inspections .. 2-6 a. Onsite .. 2-6 b. No Inspection .. 2-6 c. Comprehensive .. 2-6 d. Alleged hazards .. 2-6 Phone/Fax/Email Complaint and Referral Handling .. 2-6 a. Documentation.. 2-6 b. Allegations .. 2-6 c. Representative.
8 2-7 d. Certification .. 2-7 e. Abatement .. 2-7 f. No Citation Issued .. 2-7 Investigating Specific Hazards.. 2-7 a. Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) .. 2-7 b. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).. 2-7 c. Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) or Ergonomic Hazards .. 2-7 F. INFORMING COMPLAINANTS AND REFERRAL SOURCES .. 2-8 Complaint and Referral Correspondence .. 2-8 March 15, 2022 TOC-4 Complaints and Referrals Investigated by Phone/Fax/Email .. 2-8 Complaints and Referrals Investigated by 2-8 Complainant s Right to Request Review of Inspection and Appeal Outcomes .. 2-8 a. Review .. 2-8 b. Outcome .. 2-8 CHAPTER 3: GENERAL INSPECTION PROCEDURES A.
9 ENTERING THE WORKSITE .. 3-1 Time of Inspection .. 3-1 No Trespassing 3-1 Entry of the Workplace .. 3-2 Special Entrance Requirements .. 3-2 Determining Employer, Management Representative or Person in Charge .. 3-2 a. Single Employer Worksite .. 3-2 b. Multi-Employer Worksites .. 3-2 Obtaining and Confirming Consent to Enter the Worksite .. 3-2 a. How to Obtain and Document Consent to Enter .. 3-2 b. Questionable Consent to Enter .. 3-3 Refusal to Permit Inspection .. 3-3 a. Refusal of Entry or Inspection .. 3-3 b. Employer Interference .. 3-4 c. CSHO Responses Regarding Warrants .. 3-4 d. Seeking a Warrant .. 3-5 e. Warrant Process.
10 3-5 f. Initiating an Inspection Under a Warrant .. 3-5 g. Obtaining an Administrative Subpoena .. 3-6 CSHO Safety .. 3-6 a. Withdrawal from Inspection to Ensure Personal Safety .. 3-6 b. Report Threats and Assaults to Compliance Supervisor .. 3-6 Signing Release for Entry .. 3-7 a. L&I Authority .. 3-7 b. Sign-in .. 3-7 c. Training .. 3-7 March 15, 2022 TOC-5 d. Doubt .. 3-7 Bankrupt or Out of Business .. 3-7 Strike or Labor Dispute .. 3-8 a. Unprogrammed Inspections .. 3-8 b. Programmed Inspections .. 3-8 No Inspection .. 3-8 B. OPENING CONFERENCE .. 3-8 Purpose and Scope .. 3-8 a. Purpose .. 3-8 b. Condition .. 3-9 c. Timeframe .. 3-9 Abbreviated Opening Conference.
