Appealing a Washington Industrial Safety & Health Act (WISHA) Violation Citation & Notice

L&I's Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) Appeals program leads the first level of the appeals process for all WISHA citations issued for safety and health violations. We give the employer, affected employee(s), and DOSH an opportunity to share and discuss all relevant information in an informal setting.

Employers and/or their Representatives have the right to appeal any Citation and Notice (C&N) within 15 working days from the date they receive the C&N in the mail. The Department has 30 working days, or 75 working days with a signed extension to issue a formal decision through a Corrective Notice of Redetermination (CNR).

How to submit an Appeal

Complete a WISHA Citation & Notice Appeal Form (F417-298-000) in English or Spanish and send it to L&I:

• By Mail to Department of Labor and Industries:
  WISHA Appeals, P.O. Box 44604,
  Olympia, WA 98504-4604
• Fax to: 360-902-5581
• Email to: DOSHAppeals@lni.wa.gov
• Hand deliver in person to any L&I office.

Stay of Abatement

When an L&I inspector finds a hazard at a worksite that results in L&I citing an employer for a safety or health violation, the employer must correct or abate the hazard for which they were cited by the designated abatement date, whether they appeal the violation or not.

• Employers may request stay of abatement dates for any violation classified serious, willful, repeat serious, or failure to abate serious. Stay requests must be made in the notice of appeal under WAC 296-900-17005.
• Stay requests must include:
  • Each violation and item number for which a stay is requested.
  • The reason for the stay request.
• Read more:
  • Stay of Abatement Date Request (WAC 296-900-17006)
  • Questions & Answers: Stay of Abatement Date (F417-235-000)

Laws & Rules relating to DOSH Appeals

• Appeals, Administrative Rules (WAC 296-900-170)
• Appeal to board, Notification of assessment of penalty, Final order (etc). (RCW 49.17.140)
• Asbestos: denial, suspension, and revocation of certificates appeal. (WAC 296-65-050 (5))
• Charter Boats: Appeal of decisions. (WAC 296-115-110)
• Discrimination Appeals
  • Appeals of citations and notices of assessments (for discrimination violations). (WAC 296-360-180)
  • Discrimination, determination, and notification. (WAC 296-360-040)
• Explosives, Violation Appeals (WAC 296-52-60065)
• Right to Know Fee Assessment Appeals (WAC 296-63-013)