OSHA Training In Washington

OSHA Training Obligations You Need To Know For Washington

Under the light of the Department of Labor and Industries, the State Plan of Washington is regulated by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). DOSH covers all the public sector, including the state and government employees and employers, while covering some private sectors. 

While DOSH complies with the majority of Federal OSHA Standards, Washington also has its own set of Standards that are relevant to the following industries: 

DOSH Construction

• Boilers and Pressure Vessels
• First Aid and Emergency Response
• Sanitation
• Noise Exposure
• Ionizing Radiation
• Non-Ionizing Radiation
• Gasses, Vapors, Fumes, Dust, and Mists
• Lighting and Illumination
• Ventilation
• Hazard Communication
• Personal Protective/Life-Saving Equipment
• Fire Protection and Prevention
• Signaling and Flaggers
• Barricades
• Storage of Materials
• Disposal of Waste Materials
• Rigging Requirements for Material Handling
• Slings
• Rigging Hardware and Lifting Devices Other than Slings and Rigging Hardware
• Lifting Devices Other than Slings and Rigging Hardware
• Hand and Power Tools
• Welding and Cutting
• Electrical Hazards
• Fall Protection
• Material Hoists, Personnel Hoists and Platforms, and Elevators
• Base-Mounted Drum Hoists
• Overhead Hoists
• Conveyors
• Aerial Cableways and Tramways
• Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment, and Marine Operations
• Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring
• Concrete, Concrete Forms, Shoring, and Masonry Construction
• Steel Erection
• Underground Construction
• Demolition
• Roll Over Protective Structures and Overhead Protection
• Stairways
• Asbestos
• Cadmium
• Formaldehyde
• Methylenedianiline
• Lead
• Cranes, Rigging, and Personnel Lifting
• Walking-Working Surfaces
• Confined Spaces
• Roofing Operations
• Asphalt Mixing and Rock Crushing Operations
• House Building and Moving Operations
• Worker Intoxication

DOSH General Industry

• Walking-Working Surfaces
• Worker Emergency Plans and Fire Prevention Plans
• Exit Routes and Worker Alarm Systems
• Elevating Work Platforms
• Powered Platforms
• Ventilation for Abrasive Blasting and Spray Finishing
• Noise Exposure
• Non-Ionizing Radiation
• Hazardous Materials and Processes
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Sanitation and Hygiene Facilities and Procedures
• Temporary Housing for Workers
• Confined Spaces
• Lockout/Tagout
• First Aid and Emergency Response
• Fire Protection and Prevention
• Materials Handling and Storage
• Machinery and Machine Guarding
• Portable Power Tools
• Welding, Cutting, and Brazing
• Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills and Paper Printing Operations
• Textiles
• Laundry and Dry Cleaning Machinery and Operations
• Sawmills and Other Wood Processing
• Logging and Forestry
• Telecommunications
• Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution
• Grain Handling Facilities
• Aquatic Settings
• Charter Boats
• Ski Facilities
• Window Cleaning
• Meat, Food, and Tobacco Processing and Packing
• Electrical Hazards
• Compressed Air Work
• Commercial Diving Operations
• Toxic Substances
• Airborne Contaminants
• Ionizing Radiation
• Biological Agents
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories
• Chemical Agents
• Hazard Communication
• Heat Stress and Cold Stress
• Late Night Retail Worker Crime Prevention
• Steam Piping
• Lighting
• Motor Vehicles
• Worker Intoxication

Workers in Washington must carefully determine the correct agency before participating in safety training because both Federal OSHA and the Standards of the Washington State Plan may be applicable. As a result, workers who continue to fall within Federal OSHA’s jurisdiction must comply with their training requirements. 

Each employee must decide which training course to take because different Standards apply to other job functions. Also, to help employees with further queries, DOSH has created a search

engine on its website that enables users to identify all Laws that specifically mention training needs.

DOSH indeed regulates most of the private sector with the exception of a few, which are listed below: 

• Enforcement of new federal standards until the state adopts a comparable standard;
• Enforcement concerning offshore maritime employment (shipyard employment and long shoring), including dry docks and graving docks, marine railways and similar conveyances (e.g., synchro lifts and elevator lifts), fuel operations, drilling platforms, and rigs, dredging and pile driving, and diving;
• Enforcement in situations where the State Plan is refused entry and is unable to obtain a warrant or enforce its right of entry;
• Enforcement of unique and complex standards as determined by the Assistant Secretary;
• Enforcement in situations when the State Plan is unable to exercise its enforcement authority fully or effectively;
• Enforcement of occupational safety and health standards within the borders of all military reservations and national parks;
• Enforcement at establishments of employers who have federally recognized Indian Tribes or enrolled members of these tribes – including establishments of the Yakama Indian Nation and Colville Confederated Tribes which were previously excluded by the state in 1987 and 1989, respectively – where such establishments are located within the borders of Indian reservations, or on lands outside these reservations that are held in trust by the federal government for these tribes 
• Enforcement concerning certain contractors within the boundaries of the Hanford Reservation and the Hanford National Monument;
• Enforcement concerning contractor workers and contractor-operated facilities engaged in United States Postal Service (USPS) mail operations
• All working conditions of aircraft cabin crew members onboard aircraft in operation.

Last but not least, OSHA advises entry-level workers to pursue OSHA 10 Hour courses and employees in supervisory roles to enroll in OSHA 30 Hour courses because it has been established that the majority of employers prefer OSHA-certified workers and Federal OSHA’s Outreach courses cover essential topics pertinent to job functions, such as an introduction to General Workplace Safety. 

Advantages Of Taking OSHA Safety Training For Workers In Washington

After OSHA Outreach training, employees and employers are not only able to prevent their workplaces from site hazards but also gain other essential benefits such as: 

• Reduced machinery damage and product losses.
• Productivity and efficiency among employees increase.
• The cost of medical compensation and lost workdays decrease.