SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SHB 1959

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE, FEBRUARY 17, 1994

Brief Description:  Modifying the issuance of citations under the Washington industrial safety and health act.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Heavey and Springer)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & COMMERCE

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Prentice, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Deccio, Fraser, McAuliffe, Newhouse, Pelz, Sutherland and Vognild.

Staff:  David Cheal (786‑7576)

Hearing Dates: March 30, 1993; February 17, 1994

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Labor and Industries establishes workplace safety and health standards under the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act.  The department conducts safety and health inspections and issues citations to enforce the standards.  The department is required to issue citations within six months after a compliance inspection or investigation revealing the violation.

Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, federal compliance officers must issue citations within six months after the violation occurred.

SUMMARY:

The time period for issuing citations under the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act is amended.  The requirement is deleted that a citation must be issued within six months after a compliance inspection or investigation revealing the violation.  Instead, the citation must be issued within six months after the occurrence of the violation or within 12 months after the start of an inspection or investigation that began within six months of the violation.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

The time lines for filing safety and health citations are not clear.  This bill would provide understandable standards for issuing citations.  However, the time period allowed under the bill for completing an investigation may be too short for complex investigations.  A time period of one year would be more reasonable.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Steve Cant, Department of Labor and Industries