(1) The purpose of this chapter is to provide for safety of life and limb, to promote safety awareness, and to ensure the safe design, mechanical and electrical operation, and inspection of conveyances, and performance of conveyance work, and all such operation, inspection, and conveyance work subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be reasonably safe to persons and property and in conformity with the provisions of this chapter and the applicable statutes of the state of Washington, and all orders, and rules of the department. The use of unsafe and defective conveyances imposes a substantial probability of serious and preventable injury to employees and the public exposed to unsafe conditions. The prevention of these injuries and protection of employees and the public from unsafe conditions is in the best interest of the people of this state. It is the policy of the legislature that employees should be protected from workplace reprisal or retaliatory action for the opposition to or reporting in good faith of practices that may violate the provisions of this chapter and the rules promulgated hereunder, or of the safety, installation, repair, or maintenance policies of their employers. Personnel performing work covered by this chapter must, by documented training or experience or both, be familiar with the operation and safety functions of the components and equipment. Training and experience must include, but not be limited to, recognizing the safety hazards and performing the procedures to which the personnel performing conveyance work covered by this chapter are assigned in conformance with the requirements of this chapter. This chapter establishes the minimum standards for personnel performing conveyance work.
(2) This chapter is not intended to prevent the use of systems, methods, or devices of equivalent or superior quality, strength, fire resistance, code effectiveness, durability, and safety to those required by this chapter, provided that there is technical documentation to demonstrate the equivalency of the system, method, or device, as prescribed in this chapter and the rules adopted under this chapter.
(3) In any suit for damages allegedly caused by a failure or malfunction of the conveyance, conformity with the rules of the department is prima facie evidence that the conveyance work, operation, and inspection is reasonably safe to persons and property.