We will be meeting in person, with the option to attend virtually.

In-Person Participation:
L&I Tukwila Office
12806 Gateway Drive S
Tukwila, WA 98168

Virtual Participation:
Virtual attendees will need to register in advance here.

Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email and calendar item with your personal meeting link or phone number and the password. On the day and time of the meeting you will need to click on that link or call, and enter the appropriate password to attend. (Note: please check spam or junk mail for this confirmation email as it will be coming from Zoom.)

To best facilitate dialogue between those attending in-person and virtually, the "chat" feature on Zoom will be disabled during the meeting. Written comments and questions are encouraged following the meeting. We look forward to your participation in this conversation.

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is conducting rulemaking to update Chapter 296-155 WAC Safety Standards for Construction Work, Part N - Excavation, Trenching, and Shoring in advance of filing a Proposed Rulemaking (CR-102) later this year. We are hosting a meeting to discuss the latest version of the draft rule with Education & Outreach staff on hand to share a work plan template that is being developed as an optional tool to assist employers in complying with the new rule when it is adopted.

Rulemaking Purpose:
Preventable injuries and fatalities involving trenching and related rescue efforts in Washington recently and over the past several years have highlighted the importance of thorough pre-work planning, ongoing worksite communication, and consistent adherence to sound, documented procedures in mitigating inherent risks and reducing the likelihood of catastrophic outcomes in the event of an emergency.

Rulemaking Status:
The effort to improve existing trenching regulations in Washington began in June of 2021. Since that time, DOSH has hosted multiple stakeholder meetings to hear from those potentially impacted by the rule changes being considered and has updated the draft rule in response to the feedback received. A CR-101 (Pre-proposal statement of inquiry) was filed on June 22, 2021.

Meeting Materials and Additional Resources:
Draft Rule
Work Plan Template

For more information check out the Trenching Rescue & Excavation Plan Rulemaking webpage.

Contact Information:
Please send your rulemaking comments, questions, or concerns to Erich Smith and Kevin Walder.

Please contact Michael Lynch and Ernesto Carcamo with any questions or comments regarding the work plan template.

To sign up to receive email updates on this rulemaking process or other topics, log into the Subscriber Preferences Page. You can also update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time.