Washington § 49.17.440 - Construction crane safety — Rules — Implementation.

(1) The department of labor and industries shall adopt rules necessary to implement RCW 49.17.400 through 49.17.445.

(2) The department shall adopt rules for tower crane assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration including, but not limited to:

(a) A process for determining when the department will be present for the assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration of a tower crane;

(b) Requirements that the prime contractors of construction projects acknowledge all applicable safety orders, crane manufacturer operation instructions and guidelines, written procedures from a registered professional structural engineer, and recommended practices prior to the assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration of a tower crane;

(c) Requirements that the prime contractor of the construction project ensure that a qualified technical representative of the distributor or manufacturer who is knowledgeable of assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration procedures will be present during assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration of a tower crane to assure that such procedures are performed in accordance with manufacturer operation instructions and guidelines;

(d) Requiring prime contractors of construction projects to follow crane manufacturer operation instructions and guidelines or alternate plans/instructions approved by a registered professional engineer when assembling, disassembling, and reconfiguring a tower crane;

(e) Requiring the presence of an assembly/disassembly director at every tower crane assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration to directly oversee all work performed. The assembly/disassembly director may not serve in any other capacity while directly supervising a tower crane assembly, disassembly, or reconfiguration procedure;

(f) Conducting programmed inspections of workplaces that contain tower cranes;

(g) Establishing requirements for the maximum allowable wind speed for tower crane assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration;

(h) Establishing requirements for a written job plan that addresses the requirements of the manufacturer's manual tailored to the site conditions where the tower crane will be installed, as appropriate for assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration of a tower crane;

(i) Establishing requirements that must be met to be considered a competent and qualified assembly/disassembly director including, beginning January 1, 2027, or 12 months after the date an applicable certification program is approved by a nationally accredited organization recognized by the department, certification from a national organization recognized by the department;

(j) Establishing effective stop work procedures that ensure the authority of any employee, including employees of contractors, to refuse or delay the performance of a task related to a tower crane that the employee believes could reasonably result in serious physical harm or death. The rules must ensure that employees who exercise stop work authority are protected from intimidation, retaliation, or discrimination; and

(k) Other rules necessary to implement RCW 49.17.400 through 49.17.445.

(3) The department may set fees in rule to be charged for permits issued under RCW 49.17.435 in an amount sufficient to cover the costs of administering RCW 49.17.435. Fees shall be deposited in the industrial insurance trust funds.

Application—Effective date—2024 c 311: See notes following RCW 49.17.400.

Finding—Application—2024 c 311: See notes following RCW 49.17.435.

Intent—Effective date—2007 c 27: See notes following RCW 49.17.400.