WSR 14-24-094

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed December 2, 2014, 8:37 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 296-45 WAC, Safety standards for electrical workers.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The department is responding to a Federal Register notice where the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published their final rule relating to Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution; Electrical Protective Equipment (29 C.F.R. 1910 and 1926). This was published on April 11, 2014, and effective July 11, 2014. The department is required to update our rules to be at-least-as-effective-as OSHA. The department will have a number of provisions that may differ but will be at-least-as-effective-as the OSHA rule. These provisions may require economic analyses to determine the impact on the industry. In addition, references and minor housekeeping changes may be made throughout our chapters.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

Process for Developing New Rule: Parties interested in the formulation of these rules for proposal may contact the individual listed below. The public may also participate by commenting after amendments are proposed by providing written comments or giving oral testimony during the public hearing process.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Cynthia Ireland, Administrative Regulations Analyst, Department of Labor and Industries, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, P.O. Box 44620, Olympia, WA 98504-4620, phone (360) 902-5522, fax (360) 902-5619, e-mail cynthia.ireland@lni.wa.gov.

December 2, 2014

Joel Sacks

Director