Stakeholders have expressed frustration that our rules on the web are confusing and difficult to access in real time. When the agency updated its website, template DOSH rules in HTML were broken and DOSH began forwarding rule users to the Office of the Code Reviser website, which caused more confusion. This rule package will resolve stakeholder issues that have caused confusion for rule users by bringing one clear and consistent format to all of our rules.684.

The 2011 Legislature passed Engrossed House Bill (EHB) 2123 addressing the workers’ compensation system. This rulemaking addresses the part of EHB 2123 which amended RCW 49.17 to provide permanent funding for the Safety and Health Investment Projects (SHIP) Grants Program. The amendments will be put into Washington Administrative Code (WAC) to make the rules consistent with the legislation and adopt the provisions dictated by statute. The changes were adopted 1/17/2012 and became effective on 3/1/2012.639.

During the 2011 legislative session, the Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5068 (Chapter 91, Laws of 2011) regarding the abatement of serious safety and health violations during appeal of a Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act citation. ESSB 5068 requires employers to abate violations classified and cited as serious, willful, repeated serious, or failure to abate a serious violation during an appeal unless a stay of abatement is granted by the Department of Labor and Industries or the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals. The changes were adopted 1/3/2012 and became effective on 7/1/2012.627.

The purpose of this rulemaking is to consider modifying the department’s monetary penalties rule to ensure it is at least as effective as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's new policies.615.