Wash. Admin. Code § 296-62-07719 - Hygiene facilities and practices

(1) Change rooms.

(a) The employer must provide clean change rooms for employees required to work in regulated areas or required by WAC 296-62-07717(1) to wear protective clothing.

Exception:

In lieu of the change area requirement specified in this subsection, the employer may permit employees in Class III and Class IV asbestos work, to clean their protective clothing with a portable HEPA-equipped vacuum before such employees leave the area where maintenance was performed.

(b) The employer must ensure that change rooms are in accordance with WAC 296-800-230, and are equipped with two separate lockers or storage facilities, so separated as to prevent contamination of the employee's street clothes from their protective work clothing and equipment.

(2) Showers.

(a) The employer must ensure that employees who work in negative pressure enclosures required by WAC 296-62-07712, or who work in areas where their airborne exposure is above the permissible exposure limits prescribed in WAC 296-62-07705, shower at the end of the work shift.

(b) The employer must provide shower facilities which comply with WAC 296-800-230.

(c) The employer must ensure that employees who are required to shower pursuant to (a) of this subsection do not leave the workplace wearing any clothing or equipment worn during the work shift.

(3) Special requirements in addition to the other provisions of WAC 296-62-07719 for construction work defined in WAC 296-155-012 and for all shipyard work defined in WAC 296-304-010.

(a) Requirements for employees performing Class I asbestos jobs involving over twenty-five linear or ten square feet of TSI or surfacing ACM and PACM.

(i) Decontamination areas: The employer must establish a decontamination area that is adjacent and connected to the regulated area for the decontamination of such employees. The decontamination area must consist of an equipment room, shower area, and clean room in series. The employer must ensure that employees enter and exit the regulated area through the decontamination area.

(A) Equipment room. The equipment room must be supplied with impermeable, labeled bags and containers for the containment and disposal of contaminated protective equipment.

(B) Shower area. Shower facilities must be provided which comply with WAC 296-800-230, unless the employer can demonstrate that they are not feasible. The showers must be adjacent both to the equipment room and the clean room, unless the employer can demonstrate that this location is not feasible. Where the employer can demonstrate that it is not feasible to locate the shower between the equipment room and the clean room, or where the work is performed outdoors, the employers must ensure that employees:

(I) Remove asbestos contamination from their worksuits in the equipment room using a HEPA vacuum before proceeding to a shower that is not adjacent to the work area; or

(II) Remove their contaminated worksuits in the equipment room, then don clean worksuits, and proceed to a shower that is not adjacent to the work area.

(C) Clean change room. The clean room must be equipped with a locker or appropriate storage container for each employee's use.

(ii) Decontamination area entry procedures. The employer must ensure that employees:

(A) Enter the decontamination area through the clean room;

(B) Remove and deposit street clothing within a locker provided for their use; and

(C) Put on protective clothing and respiratory protection before leaving the clean room.

(D) Before entering the regulated area, the employer must ensure that employees pass through the equipment room.

(iii) Decontamination area exit procedures. The employer must ensure that:

(A) Before leaving the regulated area, employees must remove all gross contamination and debris from their protective clothing;

(B) Employees must remove their protective clothing in the equipment room and deposit the clothing in labeled impermeable bags or containers;

(C) Employees must not remove their respirators in the equipment room;

(D) Employees must shower prior to entering the clean room. When taking a shower, employees must be fully wetted, including the face and hair, prior to removing the respirators;

(E) After showering, employees must enter the clean room before changing into street clothes.

(b) Requirements for Class I work involving less than twenty-five linear or ten square feet of TSI or surfacing ACM and PACM, and for Class II and Class III asbestos work operations where exposures exceed a PEL or where there is no negative exposure assessment produced before the operation.

(i) The employer must establish an equipment room or area that is adjacent to the regulated area for the decontamination of employees and their equipment which is contaminated with asbestos which must consist of an area covered by a impermeable drop cloth on the floor or horizontal working surface.

(ii) The area must be of sufficient size as to accommodate cleaning of equipment and removing personal protective equipment without spreading contamination beyond the area (as determined by visible accumulations).

(iii) Work clothing must be cleaned with a HEPA vacuum before it is removed.

(iv) All equipment and surfaces of containers filled with ACM must be cleaned prior to removing them from the equipment room or area.

(v) The employer must ensure that employees enter and exit the regulated area through the equipment room or area.

(c) Requirements for Class IV work. Employers must ensure that employees performing Class IV work within a regulated area comply with hygiene practice required of employees performing work which has a higher classification within that regulated area. Otherwise employers of employees cleaning up debris and material which is TSI or surfacing ACM or identified as PACM must provide decontamination facilities for such employees which are required by WAC 296-62-07719(3)(b).

(d) Decontamination area for personnel must not be used for the transportation of asbestos debris.

(e) Waste load-out procedure. The waste load-out area as required by WAC 296-62-07723 must be used as an area for final preparation and external decontamination of waste containers, as a short term storage area for bagged waste, and as a port for transporting waste. The employer must ensure waste containers be free of all gross contaminated material before removal from the negative-pressure enclosure. Gross contamination must be wiped, scraped off, or washed off containers before they are placed into a two chamber air lock which is adjacent to the negative-pressure enclosure. In the first chamber, the exterior of the waste container must be decontaminated or placed within a second waste container, and then it must be moved into the second chamber of the air lock for temporary storage or transferred outside of the regulated area. The second waste container must not be reused unless thoroughly decontaminated.

(4) Lunchrooms.

(a) The employer must provide lunchroom facilities for employees who work in areas where their airborne exposure is above the time weighted average and/or excursion limit.

(b) The employer must ensure that lunchroom facilities have a positive pressure, filtered air supply, and are readily accessible to employees.

(c) The employer must ensure that employees who work in areas where their airborne exposure is above the time weighted average and/or excursion limit, wash their hands and faces prior to eating, drinking, or smoking.

(d) The employer must ensure that employees do not enter lunchroom facilities with protective work clothing or equipment unless surface asbestos fibers have been removed from the clothing or equipment by vacuuming or other method that removes dust without causing the asbestos to become airborne.

(5) Smoking in work areas. The employer must ensure that employees do not smoke in work areas where they are occupationally exposed to asbestos because of activities in that work area.

Notes

Wash. Admin. Code § 296-62-07719

Amended by WSR 19-01-094, Filed 12/18/2018, effective 1/18/2019

Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. 03-18-090, § 296-62-07719, filed 9/2/03, effective 11/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010,[49.17].040 , and [49.17].050. 01-17-033, § 296-62-07719, filed 8/8/01, effective 9/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, [49.17.]050 and [49.17.]060. 97-01-079, § 296-62-07719, filed 12/17/96, effective 3/1/97. Statutory Authority: Chapter 49.17 RCW. 91-03-044 (Order 90-18), § 296-62-07719, filed 1/10/91, effective 2/12/91; 89-11-035 (Order 89-03), § 296-62-07719, filed 5/15/89, effective 6/30/89; 87-24-051 (Order 87-24), § 296-62-07719, filed 11/30/87. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.050(2) and 49.17.040. 87-10-008 (Order 87-06), § 296-62-07719, filed 4/27/87.