OSHA Training in Washington State

There is no official certification required to teach most OSHA training classes in the state of Washington. However, you must make certain that on site OSHA 10 or 30-hour training classes are conducted by a trainer who is officially authorized to conduct these OSHA Outreach training courses. The trainer must first complete a series of OSHA trainer classes provided by one of the OSHA Education centers located around the country. You can confirm their status as a currently authorized OSHA Outreach trainer by asking to look at their credentials proving they completed the following trainer courses.

Construction industry trainers must successfully complete the OSHA 510 course, followed by the OSHA 500 course. This qualifies the trainer to conduct OSHA 10-hour construction training in Washington State and anywhere else in the USA and territories for a four-year period. The trainer is also authorized to conduct OSHA 30-hour construction training in WA and elsewhere. To maintain their status as an authorized OSHA Outreach trainer for construction, they must complete the OSHA 502 trainer update course every four years.

General industry trainers must successfully complete the OSHA 511 course, followed by the OSHA 501 course. This qualifies the trainer to conduct OSHA 10-hour general industry training in Washington State and anywhere else in the USA and territories for a four-year period. The trainer is also authorized to conduct OSHA 30-hour general industry training in WA and elsewhere. To maintain their status as an authorized OSHA Outreach trainer for general industry, they must complete the OSHA 503 trainer update course every four years.

Be assured that our trainers who conduct on-site OSHA training classes in WA are authorized OSHA Outreach trainers. Scroll down to see links to all of the on site OSHA training classes we conduct listed below.

Online OSHA 10 and 30-hour Training Courses Accepted in Washington State

There are also OSHA-authorized online 10 and 30-hour training courses available for construction and general industry. However, you must pay close attention, as only those course providers that are specifically authorized to provide these courses can issue trainees the official DOL / OSHA 10 or 30-hour wallet cards. There are plenty of imitators out there who use deceptive fine print and “too good to be true” pricing to sell you a course that is not OSHA authorized. You can rest assured that the 10 and 30-hour online OSHA training courses offered on our website are authorized by OSHA, and are accepted in Washington State as well as all other states and US territories.

Regulation of Workplace Safety & Health in Washington State

The state of Washington operates an approved State OSHA Program (WISHA) that regulates OSHA training in most WA workplaces. The Washington State Plan was approved in January, 1973, and the state’s enabling legislation, the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act, took effect in June of 1973. The Washington program received certification for completing all developmental steps in January, 1982.

WISHA Regulations and Standards

Over the years, the state of Washington has adopted a number of safety and health standards which have some significant differences from the federal counterparts. Examples include Washington’s rules for fall protection, respiratory protection, aerial lifts, and agriculture. DOSH has also adopted a number of state-initiated rules for which there are no federal counterparts, including requirements for written safety and health programs, and for safety committees.

As part of the DOSH Standards Innovations Project, Washington grouped a number of basic safety and health standards, necessary for most employers, into one code section (Chapter 296-800 WAC). These are referred to as Core Rules. The Core Rules include requirements for Safe Workplace (similar to the OSHA General Duty Clause), Accident Prevention Program, First Aid, PPE, Hazard Communication, Safety Bulletin Board/Poster, Lighting, Housekeeping, Sanitation, Environmental, Tobacco Smoke in the Office, Stairs and Railings, Floor Holes and Openings, Open-sided Floors, Workplace Structural Integrity, Basic Electrical Rules, Portable Fire Extinguishers, and Exit Routes and Employee Alarm Systems.

Please see the Washington Regulations section of the Washington State Plan OSHA Program website.

Jurisdiction

The state of Washington exercises safety and health jurisdiction over most private sector employers in the state, and public sector employers except the federal government.

Federal OSHA exercises jurisdiction over employers not covered by the state of Washington, including civilian federal employees and private contractors on military reservations and national parks, floating maritime operations, the United States Postal Service, tribal operations and tribal member employers on Indian Reservations and Trust Lands, and certain contractors within the boundary of the Hanford Reservation or the Hanford Reach National Monument not regulated by DOE or the state of Washington.

Washington OSHA Information

The Washington State Program is administered by the Department of Labor and Industries (DL&I), Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). The central office for DOSH is located in Tumwater, Washington. The Division has various regional and field offices located throughout the state. Contact information for the state offices can be found on the contact page of the WISHA website.

Federal OSHA’s National Emergency Hotline telephone number is 1-800-321-OSHA.

Occupational Fatality Data (2020) – Washington

(1) – Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)