(1) Chapter 49.17 RCW, the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA), is designed to regulate employment conditions affecting industrial safety and health and to achieve safer and healthier work places throughout the state. WISHA requires every person who has employees to furnish each of his or her employees employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm, and to comply with industrial safety and health standards promulgated under WISHA.

(2) Employees and representatives of employees are afforded a wide range of substantive and procedural rights under WISHA. Effective implementation of WISHA and achievement of its goals depend in large part upon the active but orderly participation of employees, individually and through their representatives.

(3) This chapter deals essentially with the rights of employees afforded under RCW 49.17.160. RCW 49.17.160 prohibits reprisals, in any form, against employees who exercise rights under WISHA. The purpose of this chapter is to make available in one place interpretations of the various provisions of section 16 of WISHA that will guide the assistant director in the performance of his or her duties thereunder.