SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 6143

              As Passed Senate, February 11, 1998

Title:  An act relating to enforcement of the elevator and other conveyances law.

Brief Description:  Revising the regulation of elevators, escalators, and other conveyances.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Schow, McAuliffe, Horn and Fraser; by request of Department of Labor & Industries).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Commerce & Labor:  1/20/98, 1/28/98 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 2/11/98, 45-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6143 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Schow, Chair; Horn, Vice Chair; Anderson, Franklin, Fraser and Heavey.

Staff:  Genevieve Pisarski (786-7488)

Background:  The Department of Labor and Industries has identified five changes to laws regulating elevators that are needed to assure public and worker safety.  These changes will make the definition of "conveyance" consistent with current industry standards; shift inspection of conveyances in grain elevators and grain terminals from the workplace safety and health program (WISHA) to the elevator program in order to ensure annual inspection and permitting; clarify that the public cannot use construction elevators; clarify that private residences, which were exempted from annual inspections in 1997, do not require operating permits; and increase the accountability of owners.

Summary of Bill:  "Elevating device" is added to the definition of "conveyance" and a set of specific definitions of different elevating devices is added.  Responsibility for inspecting conveyances located in grain elevators is returned to the elevator program.  The "limited use" permit allows use for construction personnel, tools, and materials only.  Private residence conveyances are exempt from an operating permit, unless requested.  The Department of Labor and Industries is authorized to assess penalties, if owners fail to correct violations within ninety days of notification or fail to submit official notification of corrections made.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Transferring responsibility for inspecting the conveyances in rural grain elevators and processing facilities from the department's workplace safety and health program (WISHA) to its elevator section will ensure annual inspection and permitting by personnel who are qualified to spot potential problems.  The elevator laws have not been really updated since they were adopted in 1963, and revisions are needed to assure public and worker safety and adequate enforcement.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified: PRO: Jonathan Schlueter, Pacific Northwest Grain and Feed Association; Ernie LaPalm, Jan Gould, Suzanne Mager, Department of Labor and Industries.