Subject of Possible Rule Making: Changes to safety standards for electrical workers, chapter 296-45 WAC (WISHA).

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

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The wording needs to be clarified in order to eliminate confusion stemming from the location of the second person, length of a hot stick and what constitutes a multiphased electrical feed.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: No other state or federal agencies except for OSHA are known to regulate this subject.

     Process for Developing New Rule: The department must adopt rules identical to or at-least-as-effective-as OSHA rules as required by the OSHA/WISHA state plan agreement. Parties interested in the formulation of these rules for proposal may contact the individuals 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 Steve Vik, Department of Labor and Industries, WISHA Services Division, Standards Section, P.O. Box 44620, Olympia, WA 98504-4620, phone (360) 902-5516, fax (360) 902-5529, e-mail vikt235@lni.wa.gov.

March 18, 2003

Paul Trause

Director

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