What Washington requires
- An employer with 11 or more employees on the same shift at the same location establishes a safety committee with employee-elected members at least equal in number to employer-selected members (one-year terms) and an elected chair; the committee decides how often, when and where it meetsWAC 296-800-13020 (1)
- The safety committee reviews safety and health inspection reports to help correct hazards, evaluates accident investigations since the last meeting, and evaluates the accident prevention program; attendance and subjects are documented, and minutes are kept for one year and available to L&I consultation staffWAC 296-800-13020 (2), (3)
- An employer with 10 or fewer employees, or with shifts or separate locations of 10 or fewer, may hold safety meetings instead: held monthly with at least one management representative, covering the same review of inspection reports and accident investigations, with attendance and topics written downWAC 296-800-13025
- Every employer has a written accident prevention program tailored to its workplace and hazards, including a safety orientation covering how to report injuries and unsafe conditions, first-aid locations, required protective equipment, emergencies and exits, and hazardous chemicals, plus a safety committee or safety meetings; the program is enforced so that it is effective in practiceWAC 296-800-14005 ยท WAC 296-800-14025
- Employers develop, supervise, implement and enforce safety training, including on-the-job instruction before a job assignment on hazards such as powered materials-handling equipment like forklifts, machine tools, toxic materials and utility systemsWAC 296-800-14020
Where inspection reports go
Employers with 11 or more employees on the same shift at one location have a safety committee, with at least as many employee-elected members as employer-selected ones and an elected chair. The committee reviews safety and health inspection reports to get hazards corrected, looks at accident investigations since the last meeting and evaluates the accident prevention program. Minutes record who attended and what was discussed, and are kept for one year.
Smaller employers, and those whose shifts or locations have 10 or fewer employees, may hold safety meetings instead: monthly, with a manager present, reviewing the same reports and writing down attendance and topics.
The accident prevention program
Every employer has a written accident prevention program tailored to its own hazards, with a safety orientation that tells employees how to report injuries and unsafe conditions, where first aid is, which protective equipment to use, what to do in an emergency and how to handle hazardous chemicals. Employees get on-the-job instruction before working with forklifts, machine tools, toxic materials or utility systems, and the program has to work in practice, not just on paper.
Common mistakes
- Inspection reports that never reach the safety committee or safety meeting.
- Committee minutes with no attendance list or thrown out before a year is up.
- Skipping the monthly safety meeting in a small shop.
- An accident prevention program copied from another company's hazards.
- Employer-selected members outnumbering employee-elected members.
Sources
- WAC 296-800-13020 (1), checked October 13, 2026
- WAC 296-800-13020 (2), (3), checked October 13, 2026
- WAC 296-800-13025, checked October 13, 2026
- WAC 296-800-14005, checked October 13, 2026
- WAC 296-800-14025, checked October 13, 2026
- WAC 296-800-14020, checked October 13, 2026
Last reviewed October 13, 2026. Next review due January 13, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.