Spokane Public School Board recognizes four apprentices

At its June meeting, the Spokane Public School Board recognized four new apprentices from local high schools. Graduating seniors Eric Anthony, Jesse Champion, Ian Peterson, and Jake Richards were selected to enter construction trade apprenticeship training programs and work on elementary school projects in the district. This program is part of a partnership with the apprenticeship programs to incorporate the use of apprentices on the district's construction projects and to encourage more young people to choose construction as a career.

Washington Women in Trades: High School Outreach Activities

Traversing up and down the Rainier Valley corridor in Southeast Seattle in May, Greg Mowat, of Sound Transit, and Carol O'Neill, of Local 699, a volunteer with Washington Women in Trades, coordinated three high school outreach events for Sound Transit.

The first stop was at Franklin High School, where they combined three construction classes for a Sound Transit, Trades and Washington Women in Trades presentation. Next they stopped at Cleveland High School, where they developed a Sound Transit construction site tour for students.

Washington Women in Trades' mission is to improve women's economic equity through access to high-wage, high-skilled careers in the construction, mechanical and transportation sectors.

Special low rate available for apprentices to attend the Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Conference

If you are a registered apprentice and would like to attend this year's Governor's Safety Conference in Tacoma on Sept. 28 and 29, you can register for only $20.00, saving you $100 off of the regular price. Find out more information and register online.

Final Public Hearing

The final step in a three-year process to incorporate clear rule writing into Chapter 296-104 WAC will take place at a public hearing in Tacoma next month. The proposed rules will:

•  Clarify the rules so that they are easier to use and understand;

•  Make changes to ensure consistency with statute;

•  Eliminate rules that no longer necessary; and

•  Make several other necessary changes identified by the Board of Boiler Rules.

The public hearing will be held in Tacoma at 9 a.m. on Sept. 21 at 950 Broadway, Suite 200 , in Room 3. For more information on the proposed rules, please see the Boiler Rule Notices

Legislation Reduces Regulations for Electric Boilers and Unfired Pressure Vessels

House Bill 1312, recently signed by Governor Gregoire, reduces the inspection requirement for Electric Boilers under 100 psi and having a tank volume of not more than one and one-half cubic feet. Previously, the inspection was not required for electric boilers under 80 psi. It also removes the inspection requirement for unfired pressure vessels under 15 psi in places of public assembly. These changes to Chapter 70.79 RCW became effective on July 15, 2005.

National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors Meets in Washington State

Washington State had the honor of hosting the National Board's meeting this month in Spokane . This board meets twice a year to review and develop the internationally recognized National Board Inspection Code (NBIC). This code is used by Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors internationally to ensure public safety. Three Washington State Board of Boiler Rules members have been elected to sit on this national board. They are Robb Marvin, Washington State Chief Boiler Inspector and Secretary to the Washington State Board of Boiler Rules, Steve Bacon of Conoco Phillips and Craig Hopkins of Seattle Boiler.

Inspection Goals Met

In Fiscal Year 2005, the program met its overdue inspection goal of less than 5 percent during the year with only 2.3 percent pressure vessels under our jurisdiction overdue.

Consumer Outreach Program reaching out

If you are considering home improvements, our Consumer Outreach Program has helpful information and resources to guide you in finding a good contractor and avoiding problems on your home improvement projects. We'll be at the Puyallup Fair, The Big Home and Garden Show in Lacey and the Seattle Home Show 2. Stop by our booth and get your questions answered.

Visit the Consumer Outreach Events web site for dates and times.

You might also have seen our consumer information featured on Northwest Cable News' "Northwest Home Improvement" campaign, which has its own section on the NWCN web site. The TV spots ran throughout July, and the NWCN web site featured L&I's "10-Step Checklist" for hiring and managing a contractor . This is scheduled to remain on the web site through the end of August.

Contractor Training Days planned for Tacoma and Seattle

We've had great feedback from those who have already attended our popular Contractor Training Days. One recent attendee had this to say, " Thank you for the training day. As a small business person, I appreciate the training and help and a chance to network with others."

These events are free and feature information for seasoned contractors as well as those new to the business. You will be able to set up your day to suit your business needs and interests - with training in safety, saving money on industrial and unemployment insurance, public works contracting, bidding and estimating, risk management, construction contracts and more.

Register now for the next Contractor Training Day:

•  September 27: Tacoma (please register in advance)

•  October 21 : Seattle

•  October 28: DuPont (Mini-training)

For more information, call Shari Purves-Reiter, Outreach and Education Manager Phone: 360-902-4733 E-mail: purs235@lni.wa.gov .

Plumbing continuing-education requirements are now in effect

To review the requirements and obtain a list of currently approved courses please check our website at: Plumber Continuing Education

Factory-Assembled Structures public hearing coming up in October

Sign up for the L&I Rules E-Mail List to get regular updates about upcoming hearings, rules activity and more.

Rule update

There is conflict between the electrical rule and the plumbing statute. The electrical rule states some specialty electricians may maintain, repair, or replace (like-in-kind) existing water heating equipment; however, the plumbing statute does not allow electricians to make plumbing connections to hot water tanks unless they have an additional certification as a plumber. This rulemaking will correct the inconsistency.

A Public hearing will be held in Tumwater at 9 a.m. on Sept. 27 at the L&I Building, 7273 Linderson Way SW, Room S118/119.

For a copy of the proposed rule changes, please see Electrical Rule Proposal .

Electrical compliance officers needed

Three new electrical compliance officer positions have been created, and L&I is looking for qualified individuals to fill those positions. The positions were added to the Governor's budget as part of an anti-fraud package following a very successful pilot program called SAFES (Strategic Action for Electrical Safety). Read more about SAFES in the July issue of Electrical Currents .

If you are interested in applying for one of these positions please check out the information available at Electrical Construction Inspector Lead

National Electrical Code became effective June 30

The revisions to chapter 296-46B WAC became effective June 30, 2005. In these rule changes, the state of Washington formally adopted the 2005 version of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Electrical permits purchased after the effective date will be inspected under the 2005 NEC. Plan review projects received and accepted for review after the effective date will be under the 2005 NEC. Permits purchased prior to July 1, 2005 may conform to either the 2002 NEC or 2005 NEC, but not a combination of the two standards.

Jack Day began his new duties as Chief Elevator Inspector in January, and his months here have been extremely busy. Here are a few of the highlights that Jack and his staff have been working on:

Alterations Training

If you're an elevator contractor who sells or supervises alterations, plan to attend an upcoming Contractor Training Day on Sept. 27 or Oct. 21. We've developed a new course specifically for contractor sales and supervision personnel to teach what is required for permits, materials, testing and what to expect during an inspection.

Elevator web site

You'll soon be seeing a new elevator section web page. We conducted web-site testing with real-life customers like you to show us what you need and expect to find when you log on to the L&I web site. We got great feedback and will be rolling out the redesigned web site in the coming months.

New field staff added

The hiring process has begun for three new elevator inspectors and one office assistant. These new field staff will enable us to meet our goal of inspecting 100 percent of all conveyances in the state each year.

Accident reporting

Did you know that an elevator owner or owner's agent must report any elevator accident where there is an injury that requires a doctor's attention? L&I investigates these accidents and makes every effort to prevent them from happening again. So far in 2005, there have been 17 conveyance accidents reported. Most of the incidents involved escalators.

Wage and Hour and Farm Bureau team up for training

Washington State Farm Bureau and L&I's Wage and Hour Program teamed up to do a series of workshops in 11 cities across the state. Approximately 400 agricultural employers attended the workshops and learned about a variety of topics. L&I provided a summary of agricultural labor laws and a checklist of what employers need to know. If you would like a copy of these handouts, please contact Janis Kerns at 360-902-5552 or kerj235@LNI.wa.gov .

Teen workers head back to school

If you are the parent or employer of a teen worker under the age of 18, you'll need to be aware of changes associated with the start of a new school year:

Teen work schedules must be adjusted when school starts. Click here for a summary of teen work hours .

Parent/School Authorization forms expire each year on Sept. 30. Prior to Sept. 30, employers must obtain a new form for each minor employee, make sure it is properly completed and signed by the parent and school, and keep it on file at the minor's workplace.

Prevailing Wage Application System use soars

In July, 79 percent of those who filed prevailing wage intents and affidavits with us did it online. We're happy that so many of you are finding the new system convenient and easy to use.

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Other L&I information

At L&I's new Claim & Account Center , employers, workers, doctors, RETRO groups and third-party administrators can check the status of workplace injuries, check employer accounts, and send information to L&I. The Claim & Account Center is fast, secure, easy to use, and it's free!

Events

L&I Contractor Training Days:

September 27: Tacoma (please register in advance)

October 21:  Seattle

October 28:  DuPont         (Mini-training)

Register now at Contractor Training Day

(For more information, contact Shari Purves-Reiter, 360-902-4733 or purs235@LNI.wa.gov)

Proposed rule changes, public hearings

Electrical Rule update to Chapter 296-46B WAC

A public hearing will be held in Tumwater at 9 a.m., Sept. 27 at the L&I Building, 7273 Linderson Way, SW, Room S118/119.

For a copy of the proposed rule changes, please see Electrical Rule Proposal .

Boiler Rule changes to Chapter 296-104 WAC

A public hearing will be held in Tacoma at 9 a.m., Sept. 21, at 950 Broadway, Ste. 200, in Room 3.

For a copy of the proposed rule changes, please see

Boiler Rule Notices

Employment Law Advisory Committee (ELAC)

ELAC will meet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wed., Oct. 26 in Tumwater at the Guest House Inn, 1600 74th Ave. SW.

These meetings are open to the public. For more information, see the ELAC web site.

Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Conference

Sept. 28-29, 2005 at the

Greater Tacoma Convention Center

For more information see the conference web site.

Office of Information and Assistance: 1-800-547-8367

Contractor Registration Verification: 1-800-647-0982

Report-a-Fraud Hotline
(to report unregistered contractors): 1-888-811-5974

Employment Standards Information (minimum wage, overtime, working conditions, teen workers, prevailing wage, agricultural workers):

1-866-219-7321

Issue 8, Summer 2005

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
Quarterly Update is an e-mail newsletter distributed four times a year by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries' Specialty Compliance Services division. Receiving this newsletter is the best way to keep up to date on Specialty Compliance Services' activities and issues.

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