WAC 296-54-607 Radio signal systems--Specifications and test procedures. 

All radio-signaling systems put into use must meet or exceed the requirements of this section. When systems are altered or repaired they must continue to meet these requirements.

(1) Radio equipment in use at cable logging sites, which is primarily used for voice communication, must be on a separately assigned frequency from radio equipment primarily used to initiate whistles or other audible signaling devices or to control any machine, material handling device or other equipment hazardous to employees.

(2) Radio-signaling systems used to transmit whistle signals or control functions of equipment associated with skyline, highlead, slackline, or cable skidder systems of logging must transmit and decode only by the use of authorized multitone frequencies. Only sequential tones may be used to transmit signals or control equipment when using carrier frequencies of 154.57 or 154.60 MHz.

(3) All radio systems receiver sensitivity must be able to attain 0.4 microvolt, or greater, for 12 dB SINAD ratio for VHF frequencies and 0.5 microvolt, or greater, for UHF frequencies. When interference is a factor, the receiver may be desensitized in the furtherance of safety by a person qualified according to WAC 296-54-605(12).

(4) All radio signal systems must have receiver spurious attenuation of at least 70 dB when measured by the 20 db quieting method and image response attenuation of 60 db when measured by the 20 db quieting method. “Spurious response attenuation” is a measure of the receiver's ability to discriminate between a desired signal to which it is resonant and an undesired signal at any other frequency to which it is also responsive.

(5) All radio signal systems must have receiver selectivity of at least 80 db plus or minus 30 KHz, when measured by the E.*I.A. SINAD method.

(6) The receiver-decoder tone frequency stability must not exceed 0.006 (0.6%) above or below the assigned tone frequency.

(7) The drift of a transmitter-encoder tone must not exceed 0.006 (0.6%) above or below the assigned tone frequency.

(8) Parts of the radio-signaling system affected by moisture, which may be subjected to the entrance of moisture during use, must be weatherproofed. Transmitters must be tested within fifteen minutes after being subjected to the following conditions and must have the ability to continue functioning properly. The transmitter and receiver must be placed in a humidity chamber for eight hours where the humidity has been maintained at not less than ninety percent and where a 40 degrees C. temperature has been maintained.

(9) Radio-signaling system units must operate within tolerances specified at any temperature within the range of -30 degrees C. to +60 degrees C.

(10) Switches of transmitters used to send whistle signals or activate equipment associated with high lead, slackline, or cable skidder systems of logging must be designed so that two buttons, motions or a combination of these are required simultaneously to cause activation of the system. Arrangement of the activating switches must allow the operator to transmit signals easily but not easily activate a control or command function accidentally.

(11) All receivers intended to be mounted on or in the yarder or similar equipment, and all portable transmitters, must continue to maintain specified mechanical and electrical performance during and after being subjected to vibration of the magnitude and amplitude as follows:

(a) The equipment must be vibrated with simple harmonic motion having an amplitude of 0.015” (total excursion 0.03”) with the frequency varied uniformly between 10 and 30 Hz and an amplitude of 0.0075” (total excursion 0.015”) with the frequency varied uniformly between 30 and 60 Hz.

(b) The entire cycle of frequencies for each group (i.e., 10 to 30 cycles and 30 to 60 cycles) must be accomplished in five minutes and repeated three times.

(c) The above motion must be applied for a total of thirty minutes in each direction, that is, the directions parallel to both axes of the base and perpendicular to the plane of the base.

(12) All portable transmitters must be able to maintain specified mechanical and electrical performance after being subjected to a shock test as follows: The transmitter shall be dropped five times from a height of four feet onto a smooth concrete floor. Each drop must impact a different surface of the transmitter.

(13) Transmitters operating on carrier frequencies of 154.57 MHz and on 154.60 MHz must be limited on maximum power output of 500 mW measured at the antenna terminals.

(14) To minimize the possibility of interference with other signaling systems, the input power of transmitters operating in the 450 MHz range should be limited to only the amount needed to transmit to the receiver of the system effectively.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-607, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, .150 and .240. 79-10-081 (Order 79-14), § 296-54-607, filed 9/21/79.]

WAC 296-54-701 Wood spar trees.

(1) Wood spar trees must be of sound material of sufficient size and strength to withstand any stresses which may be imposed by any equipment used for that specific logging operation.

(2) The top of the tree must extend not more than:

(a) Sixteen feet above the top guylines on spar trees over fifty feet tall; and

(b) Eight feet above the top guylines on spar trees less than fifty feet tall.

(3) School marms used as spar trees must be topped at the forks. Spar trees, except cedar, must be barked where guylines, straps, bull blocks, and tree plates are placed.

(4) Spar trees must be topped and limbs must be cut off close so that running lines will not foul or saw on protruding knots.

(5) At least four tree plates must be placed under top guylines on spar trees over fifty feet tall. At least three tree plates must be used on spar trees less than fifty feet tall.

(6) Tree plates must be equipped with lugs or other suitable means to hold them in place.

(7) Before raising spar trees, dummy trees must be topped and guyed with three guylines equivalent in breaking strength to the mainline.

(8) When spar trees are raised, stumps used for snubbing must be properly notched. Guylines must be held by a mechanical means. Snubbing by hand is prohibited.

(9) All rub trees must be limbed and topped.

(10) Loose material such as bark, spikes, straps or chains not in use and slabs caused by bumping logs or chafing straps must be removed from the spar trees. Heavy bark must be removed from trees used for a permanent installation.

(11) A person must ride only the passline to thread lines, to lubricate blocks, or to inspect rigging.

(12) When the friction lever and passline drum are on the opposite side of the machine from the operator, an experienced person must operate the friction lever while the engineer operates the throttle. While being used, the passline drum must be properly attended by another person to guide the passline onto the passline drum with a tool suitable for the purpose.

(13) Using a gypsy drum to handle employees in the tree is prohibited.

(14) A climber's rope must encircle the tree before the climber leaves the ground, except when the climber is riding the passline.

(15) Spikes, used by the climber as a temporary aid in hanging rigging, must be removed before the tree is used for logging.

(16) Topping trees in windy weather is prohibited.

(17) Topping, rigging-up, or stripping is prohibited when visibility is impaired.

(18) When heel tackle is fastened near the machine, a safety line must be placed in such manner that in case of breakage, lines do not strike the power unit and endanger the operator.

(19) Yarding with more than one unit on any one head spar is prohibited.

(20) The angle between the power unit, the high lead block, and the mainline road must not exceed a square lead on rigged spars. When using portable spars or towers, the location of the machine or position of the operator must ensure that the operator is not endangered by incoming logs.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-701, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99.]

WAC 296-54-70110 Wood spar trees--Guylines.

(1) Wood spar trees using a line greater than 7/8-inch and used as loading and yarding trees must have at least six top guys and four buckle guys, if a sail guy is used.

(2) Wood spar trees using a mainline greater than 7/8-inch and used only as yarding trees must have at least six top guys and must use at least three buckle guys.

(3) Wood spar trees using a mainline of 7/8-inch or less must be supported by at least five top guylines or other positive means of supporting the spar.

(4) Wood spar trees used for yarding with light equipment (7/8-inch or smaller mainline) must be guyed so that strains will be imposed on at least two guylines. If less than five top guys are used, guylines must be at least 1/4-inch larger than the mainline.

(5) Wood spar trees used for loading only with crotch line, spreader bar, or swinging boom must have at least four top guys and must use at least three buckle guys.

(6) More guylines must be added if there is any doubt about the stability of a spar tree, raised tree, tail tree, lift tree, or other equipment or rigging they support.

(7) Wood spar trees used for transfer must have at least five top guys and must use at least three buckle guys.

(8) Guylines must alternately be passed around the wood spar in opposite directions to prevent twisting of the spar.

(9) Guylines must be attached to the upper portion of the wood spar by shackles.

(10) When a high lead block is hung below buckle guys, at least three top guys of equal strength to the mainline must be used to keep the top from swaying.

(11) When buckle guys are required, they must be installed on the tree where they will provide the maximum effectiveness.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-70110, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99.]

WAC 296-54-70120 Wood spar trees--Passlines. 

All spar trees must be equipped with passlines that are:

(1) At least 5/16-inch and a maximum of 1/2-inch in diameter;

(2) Not subjected to sawing on other lines or rigging, and are kept clear of all moving lines and rigging;

(3) A continuous length and in good condition with no splices, knots, molles, or eye-to-eye splices between the ends; and

(4) Long enough to provide three wraps on the drum before the climber leaves the ground.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-70120, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99.]

WAC 296-54-70130 Wood spar trees--Straps.

(1) Safety straps of appropriate size must be placed on all high lead blocks; and other blocks whenever practicable. Safety straps must be shackled (with the closed end of the shackle up) to a guyline that extends as near as possible at right angles with the power unit, but must not be on a guyline with an extension within one hundred feet of the tree. When the top guyline on which the safety strap of the high lead block is fastened is changed, the safety strap must be attached to another guyline or the loosened guyline must be tightened after the change.

(2) All tree straps must be at least 1/4-inch larger than the pulling line. If impossible to use a safety strap, all tree straps must be 1/2-inch larger than the pulling line.

(3) Lead blocks used for yarding, swinging, loading, and unloading used in wood spars must be:

(a) Designed and constructed for this purpose;

(b) Bolted with at least two bolts through the shells below the sheaves in a manner that will retain the sheave and line in case of bearing pin failure (this does not apply to haulback lead blocks); and

(c) Mainline blocks have a sheave diameter of at least twenty times the diameter of the mainline.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-70130, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99.]

WAC 296-54-705 Truck and equipment maintenance shops. 

It is recognized that the usual hazards encountered in maintenance shops performing work on logging and related equipment would be very similar to those found in general repair, machine or welding shops; therefore, the rules contained in chapter 296-24 WAC, General safety and health standards and other applicable safety standards promulgated and administered by the department of labor and industries shall apply to such places of work.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-705, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99.]

WAC 296-54-707 Labor camps. 

Temporary labor camps for logging operations must meet the requirements of WAC 296-833.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-707, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99.]

WAC 296-54-99002 Appendix 1--Signals.

Figure 39: Standard Hand Signals

Figure 40: Standard Hand Signals

Figure 41: Standard Hand Signals

Figure 42: Standard Signals for Loading Logs

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, .040 and .050. 99-17-117 (Order 97-09), § 296-54-99002, filed 08/18/99, effective 12/01/99. [Order 72-14, Figure 2 (codified as WAC 296-54-99002), filed 7/31/72, effective 9/1/72.]

WAC 296-54 (Continued)