LOCAL RULES: WAC 296-155

Washington site safety inspection report requirements

Your Washington site safety inspection report has 5 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • Frequent and regular site inspections by a competent person
  • Unsafe equipment tagged, locked out or removed
  • Scaffolds inspected before each shift
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Washington runs its own workplace safety program through the Department of Labor and Industries. Its construction rules require a documented walk-around safety inspection at the start of every job and at least weekly, made jointly by management and an employee-elected representative, and they set fall protection from 4 feet. Here is each rule with a link to the official text.

Last reviewed October 12, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Site safety inspectionWASHINGTON / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 241 words

Project: Riverside Commons Building B
412 Mill Street
GC: Hartwell Builders
Date: 10/08/2026, 7:15am
Inspected by: Marco Diaz, site superintendent (competent person)
...
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88%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 25 items into 11 sections and flagged 1 to fix first.

  • Fix firstFall protection and openings

    3rd floor east slab edge: guardrail missing a 12 ft section, framers working nearby.

  • Fix soonScaffolds and aerial lifts

    Scaffold north elevation: tag not signed today, one plank missing at top lift.

  • Fix soonLadders

    Stepladder with cracked side rail in the plumbing gang box, tagged Do Not Use

5 Washington rules on your checklist, including a weekly walk-around by management and an employee-elected representative, documented and kept until the job ends.

Still to add

  • RecommendedNotes for site access, housekeeping and storage
  • RecommendedNotes for corrective actions

Filled in for you

Project nameRiverside Commons Building B
Site address412 Mill Street
General contractor or employerHartwell Builders
Inspection dateOct 8, 2026
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What Washington requires

  • At the beginning of each job and at least weekly after that, the employer conducts a walk-around safety inspection jointly by one member of management and one employee elected by the employees as their authorized representative; walk-around inspections are documented, available to the department, and kept until the job is completedWAC 296-155-110 (9)
  • Crew leader-crew safety meetings are held at the beginning of each job and at least weekly, tailored to the operation; they review any walk-around safety inspection since the last meeting, any citation, and any accident investigation; attendance and subjects are documented, minutes are kept where most of the site's employees report each day, and minutes are retained for at least one yearWAC 296-155-110 (5) to (8)
  • Construction employers have a written accident prevention program tailored to the operation and its hazards, including a safety orientation on reporting injuries and unsafe conditions, first aid locations, protective equipment, emergency exits, hazardous materials and an on-the-job review of safe practicesWAC 296-155-110 (2) to (4)
  • Employees exposed to fall hazards of 4 feet or more to the ground or a lower level are protected by a guardrail system, personal fall restraint, personal fall arrest, a safety net, a catch platform or a warning line system; holes 4 feet or more deep are guarded, covered or protected the same way, and skylights are guardedWAC 296-880-20005
  • In construction work, fall protection is required at 6 feet or more for roofing work on a low pitched roof (a safety monitor may be used) and for constructing a leading edge, and at 10 feet or more for erecting or placing structural members (unless done from a floor, deck or roof) and in excavation and trenching work, except for employees directly involved in the excavation at its top edge or where the walls are slopedWAC 296-880-30005 (1), (2)
  • Where fall hazards of 10 feet or more exist, the employer has a written fall protection work plan for each area that identifies the fall hazards, the fall arrest or restraint method, how the system is assembled, inspected and taken down, how tools and materials are secured, overhead protection for people below, and how an injured worker is promptly removed; it is kept on site, and workers are trained in it before entering the area; no plan is needed where a guardrail eliminates the hazardWAC 296-880-10020
  • All components of personal fall arrest, fall restraint and positioning systems are inspected before each use, following the manufacturer's specifications, for mildew, wear, damage and other deterioration, and defective components are removed from service; safety nets are inspected at least weekly and after any event that could affect them; the employer plans for prompt rescue after a fallWAC 296-880-10005 (2), (4)
  • Employees inspecting, investigating or assessing roof conditions on a low pitch roof before construction work starts or after it is finished are exempt from the fall protection rules, but not on steep pitch roofs, not while construction work is underway, and not where fall protection is already installed and availableWAC 296-880-30005 (3) (b)

The weekly walk-around inspection

At the beginning of each job, and at least weekly after that, one member of management and one employee elected by the employees walk the site together. The inspection is documented, kept until the job is finished, and shown to L&I on request.

Each week's crew leader-crew safety meeting reviews the walk-arounds made since the last meeting, along with any citation and any accident investigation. Attendance and subjects are written down, and the minutes stay where most of the crew reports each day and are kept for at least one year. All of this sits inside the employer's written accident prevention program.

Fall protection from 4 feet

Washington requires fall protection at 4 feet or more above the ground or a lower level, through guardrails, fall restraint, fall arrest, safety nets, catch platforms or warning lines, and holes and skylights are guarded or covered. Some construction work starts higher: 6 feet for low-pitch roofing and leading edge work, and 10 feet for erecting structural members and in excavations.

Where falls of 10 feet or more exist, a written fall protection work plan covers the hazards, the system used, inspection, securing tools, protection below and rescue, and it stays on site. Harnesses, lanyards and other components are checked before each use, safety nets weekly, and the employer plans for prompt rescue. Inspecting or assessing a low-pitch roof before work starts or after it ends is exempt, but not on a steep roof or once work is underway.

Common mistakes

  • Doing the weekly walk-around with management alone, without the employee-elected representative.
  • Not writing the walk-around down, or throwing the records away before the job ends.
  • Using the federal 6-foot height for fall protection instead of Washington's 4 feet.
  • Working above 10 feet without a written fall protection work plan on site.
  • Skipping the review of the latest walk-around at the weekly crew safety meeting.

Sources

Last reviewed October 12, 2026. Next review due January 12, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.