WSR 98-04-094

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF

LABOR AND INDUSTRIES

[Filed February 4, 1998, 11:59 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Safety standards for agriculture, chapter 296-307 WAC.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17.]040, [49.17.]050.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Federal OSHA has identified items for which the department's rules are not at least as effective as OSHA's rules. The legislature has made law defining agriculture for the purpose of this chapter, and the chapter must be amended to reflect the law. The chapter also contains a variety of housekeeping errors, inconsistencies, and other problems that need to be corrected.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Federal OSHA also regulates this subject. We must maintain rules that are at least as effective as those enforced by federal OSHA.

Process for Developing New Rule: The department will hold meetings with affected customers. The department will conduct public hearings and receive testimony to arrive at a balanced rule.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Laura Brand-Bauer, Project Manager, WISHA Services Division, P.O. Box 44620, Olympia, WA 98504-4620, phone (360) 902-4504, FAX (360) 902-5529.

February 4, 1998

Gary Moore