Event Details
Trenching and Excavation Work Plan
Public Hearing on Proposed Rules
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
1:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
Location
In-person:
Department of Labor & Industries
12806 Gateway Drive South
Tukwila, WA 98168
A pre-hearing overview will begin at 1:00 p.m. The public hearing will start at 1:30 p.m. and will continue until all oral comments are received.
L&I encourages the submittal of written comments, due by 5:00 p.m. on February 20, 2026.
Rules Affected
View the affected rules, purpose, and rulemaking statusPurpose
The purpose of this proposal is to amend Chapter 296-155 WAC, Part N. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is proposing to amend WAC 296-155-655, General protection requirements, to require employers to complete a written work plan detailing appropriate risk analysis and prior to beginning any work that requires a protective system. In addition, definitions applicable to the chapter were moved from WAC 296-155-650 to a new section, WAC 296-155-652. Despite the existing requirement for employers to “ensure prompt and safe removal of injured employees from elevated work locations, trenches and excavations prior to commencement of work”, inspection data revealed multiple fatalities and numerous injuries related to excavation and trenching work in Washington. The conclusions of fatality investigations in recent years suggest that a better approach to risk analysis could serve greatly to reduce the likelihood of similar fatalities in the future.