Tumwater, WA — Construction firms in Washington state that perform excavation, trenching and shoring work must complete a written work plan before a job begins, under a new rule recently adopted by state’s Department of Labor & Industries.
Published April 21 and set to go into effect June 1, the rule amends current regulations to require that employers complete a written work plan “detailing appropriate risk analysis prior to beginning any work that requires a protective system.”
Washington L&I says it will provide a written work plan template on its website. Employers can also create their own plan that meets the rule’s criteria.
Along with establishing a definition for “work plan,” the rule:
- Requires a competent person to be onsite during trenching and excavation work.
- Covers how to address recordkeeping and training requirements of a work plan.
L&I says the rulemaking was spurred by statewide investigations into trenching and excavation incidents in recent years that suggested better risk analysis could greatly reduce worker deaths.
A notice of intent regarding the rule was published in June 2021. A public comment period opened Jan. 7, and three public hearings took place in February.
