Tower Crane Permit and Safety Requirements
Chapter 296-155 WAC, Part L

Status

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is conducting rulemaking to implement and enforce Second Substitute House Bill (2SHB) 2022 (Chapter 311, Laws of 2024), codified under RCW 49.17.435 and 49.17.440. 2SHB 2022, addressing construction crane safety, created new requirements for tower cranes.

L&I filed a Proposed Rulemaking (CR-102) on August 19, 2025.

Please see L&I’s Rulemaking Activity page for additional filing documents.

Learn more about our rulemaking process and terminology.

Background

The law directed L&I to establish, by rule, a permit for the performance of any work involving the operation, assembly, disassembly, or reconfiguration of a tower crane. The minimum requirements for the permit include a complete permit application, safety conference, certain notifications to L&I, inspections, and other provisions.

Beginning January 1, 2026, prime contractors must obtain a permit from L&I prior to performing or allowing the performance of any work involving the operation, assembly, disassembly, or reconfiguration of a tower crane. This requirement applies to tower cranes already assembled prior to January 1, 2026, and this proposed rule includes a process for already assembled cranes to comply.

Specifically, some of the topics this rulemaking will address include:

  • Permit requirements related to tower cranes;
  • Permit applications and safety conferences;
  • Permit denials, suspensions, and revocations;
  • Requirements of prime contractors; and
  • Other housekeeping changes.

The proposed rule also repeals WAC 296-155-53910 and amends WAC 296-155-53401 to remove (5)(n), which was updated during the larger Part L rulemaking filed on August 5, 2025 (WSR 25-16-089). Those two sections listed out notification requirements regarding the assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration of a tower crane that will become obsolete with the new permitting program rules.

Meetings & timeline
Rulemaking action items
Activity​ Date​
Public hearings​ September 23, 29 & 30, 2025
Filed CR-102 Proposed Rulemaking​ August 19, 2025​
Stakeholder meetings​ May 13, 15, & 19, 2025
April 1, 2025
March 24​​, 2025
Filed CR-101 Pre-proposal Statement of Inquiry​​​ January 21, 2025​​

Upcoming meetings

Public hearings

L&I invites parties interested in the proposed rulemaking to attend the public hearings. L&I will conduct two in-person public hearings and one virtual public hearing. A pre-hearing overview will occur one-half hour prior to the start of each public hearing. The pre-hearing overview will be an opportunity for L&I staff to provide a brief summary of the proposed rule language, and answer questions from the public prior to the start of the formal hearing.

Previous meetings

  • May 19, 2025 - Virtual/phone
  • May 15, 2025 - Tukwila
  • May 13, 2025 - Spokane
  • April 1, 2025 - Spokane
  • March 24, 2025 - Tukwila

Previous meeting materials & summaries

    Rule Drafts & Documents Additional resources

    Staff Contacts

    For rulemaking questions, please contact:
    Cynthia.Ireland@Lni.wa.gov or 360-791-5048.

    For technical questions please contact:
    Bill.Sloniker@Lni.wa.gov or 206-715-3287.

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