(1) Scheduling information. If no agreement is reached by the parties as to the final disposition of an appeal, the industrial appeals judge presiding at a settlement conference may direct that the appeal be assigned to an industrial appeals judge for the purpose of scheduling and conducting a hearing in the appeal. Any industrial appeals judge assigned to conduct proceedings in an appeal, or his or her designee may elicit from the parties such information as is necessary and helpful to the orderly scheduling of hearing proceedings and as may aid in expediting the final disposition of the appeal.

(2) Prehearing matters. At any proceeding a stipulation of facts may be obtained to show the board's jurisdiction in the matter. In addition, agreement as to the issues of law and fact presented and the simplification or limitation thereof may be obtained. The industrial appeals judge may also determine: (a) The necessity of amendments to the notice of appeal or other pleadings; (b) the possibility of obtaining admissions of facts and authenticity of documents which will avoid unnecessary proof; (c) the admissibility of exhibits; (d) a stipulation as to all or part of the facts in the case; (e) obtain information as to the number of expert and lay witnesses expected to be called by the parties and their names when possible, the place or places where hearings will be required, the approximate time necessary for the presentation of the evidence of the respective parties, and all other information which may aid in the prompt disposition of the appeal; (f) the limitation of the number of witnesses; (g) the need for interpretive services; (h) exchange of medical and vocational reports and other relevant documents; (i) receive and rule on motions pertaining to prehearing discovery. These include motions by a party for a vocational evaluation of a claimant which may be granted upon a showing of surprise which ordinary prudence could not have guarded against or upon an equivalent showing of circumstances constituting good cause and upon notice to all parties of the time, place, manner, conditions, and scope of the evaluation and the person or persons by whom it is to be made, provided that the industrial appeals judge shall impose all conditions necessary to avoid delay and prejudice in the timely completion of the appeal.

(3) Record of results of conferences. The results of any conferences shall be stated on the record. The record may be a transcript of the proceeding, a judge's report of proceedings, and/or written interlocutory order. The record shall include, where applicable, agreements concerning issues, admissions, stipulations, witnesses, time and location of hearings, the issues remaining to be determined, and other matters that may expedite the hearing proceedings. The statement of agreement and issues, and rulings of the industrial appeals judge, shall control the subsequent course of the proceedings, subject to modification by the industrial appeals judge or by interlocutory review pursuant to WAC 263-12-115(6).

(4) Failure to supply information. If any party fails to supply the information reasonably necessary to schedule the hearing in a case, the board or the industrial appeals judge may suspend setting a hearing pending receipt of the required information, impose conditions upon the presentation of evidence by the defaulting party as may be deemed appropriate, or take other appropriate action as authorized by these rules and the law.

(5) Admissibility of matters disclosed at conference. If no agreement of the parties is reached resolving all issues presented, no offers of settlement, admissions, or statements made by any party shall be admissible at any subsequent proceeding unless they are independently admissible therein.