S-4523               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 4474

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Senators Warnke and Rasmussen)

Read first time 2/7/86.

AN ACT Relating to underground vaults; adding a new section to chapter 49.17 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 49.17 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) A person shall not enter an underground vault being constructed or being used for repairs to underground utilities or remain inside of the opening unless another person is providing alert surveillance, except that a new underground vault under construction is exempted if adequate steps are taken to insure safe working conditions.

          (2) A person, firm, or corporation authorized or permitted to construct or repair underground facilities by access through an underground vault shall provide alert surveillance until the underground vault cover is in place and no person remains in the underground facility.  The second employee shall be trained in safety and first aid practices and shall be responsible for alert surveillance of the occupied underground vault to afford immediate action in emergencies.  The second employee may also perform other duties either above grade or in the underground vault provided that the other duties do not interfere with his or her surveillance duties.

          (3) This section does not preclude an employee trained in safety practices, in the absence of a second employee, from entering an underground vault for a brief period of time not in excess of twenty minutes for purposes such as inspections, housekeeping, taking readings, or similar work, provided adequate steps have been taken to insure safe working conditions.

          (4) A person, firm, or corporation that violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.  Each day a violation of this section occurs constitutes a separate offense.