PDFWAC 296-54-531

Truck roads.

(1) Haul road grades must not exceed 20 percent unless:
(a) Special equipment and safety measures are used to accommodate the steep grade; or
(b) The logging equipment or truck is specifically designed and approved by the manufacturer for operation on grades over twenty percent.
(2) Truck road surfaces must meet the following requirements:
(a) Truck roads are wide enough and even to ensure the safe operation of equipment.
(b) Hazards such as broken planking, deep holes, large rocks, logs, etc., that make equipment operation unsafe, must be immediately corrected.
(c) On blind curves, one of the following must be implemented:
(i) Truck roads are wide enough for two trucks to pass;
(ii) A signal system is maintained; or
(iii) Speed is limited so that the vehicle can be stopped in one-half the visible distance.
(3) For all portions of roads under your direct control, you must ensure that:
(a) All danger trees are fell a safe distance back from the roadway;
(b) Rocks that present a hazard are cleared from banks; and
(c) Brush and other materials that obstruct the view at intersections or on sharp curves are cleared.
(4) All bridge structures used in the logging operation must meet the following requirements:
(a) Structures are adequate to support the maximum imposed loads without exceeding the maximum safe working unit stresses;
(b) Bridges have an adequate number of reflectors to clearly define the entrance to the bridge;
(c) Structures are maintained in good condition and repair;
(d) Structures are inspected at least annually by a qualified authorized person; and
(e) A record maintained of each inspection must be available to a representative of the department on request.
(5) Shear rails must be installed on both outside edges of bridges. The shear rails must be securely fastened and made of material able to withstand the impact generated by contact with the wheels of a loaded vehicle. The top of shear rails must be at least fifteen inches above the bridge surface. Bridges in use before 1980 with outside shear rails a minimum of ten inches high or center shear rails at least five inches high are permissible until repairs are needed.
(6) You must implement measures that minimize dust to the degree that visibility is sufficient to allow an operator to safely operate a vehicle. Vehicle operators must travel at a speed consistent with road conditions.
(7) Pneumatic-tired equipment must have fenders as described in the Society of Automotive Engineers Technical Report J321a.
(8) Employee(s) must be assigned to flag on roads or provide other equivalent protection where hazardous conditions are created from logging such as, but not limited to:
(a) Running wire rope lines or rigging across road grades, excluding guylines and standing skylines if lines remain a safe distance above the road to allow a vehicle to pass under; or
(b) The movement of logs, chunks, or debris across or suspended over road grades.
EXCEPTION:
Where there is no through traffic, such as on a dead end road or where the property owner's permission or proper authority is granted to close a section of road, warning signs and barricades may be used instead of flagger(s).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060, and chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 17-17-131, § 296-54-531, filed 8/22/17, effective 10/22/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17].040 and [49.17].050. WSR 99-17-117, amended and recodified as § 296-54-531, filed 8/18/99, effective 12/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, 49.17.150 and 49.17.240. WSR 79-10-081 (Order 79-14), § 296-54-533, filed 9/21/79.]