Job Site Safety in Washington: Top Tips for Protecting Your Crew and Clients

Job site safety is not a secondary concern for Washington contractors — it is a direct driver of your operating costs, your legal exposure, and your ability to stay in business. Washington State has its own occupational safety and health agency, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), which operates under the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). DOSH enforces safety standards that meet or exceed federal OSHA requirements, conducts inspections with and without advance notice, and issues citations with penalties that can reach tens of thousands of dollars per violation. At the same time, every workplace injury generates a workers' compensation claim through L&I's state fund, which directly affects your premium rates for years after the incident.

The financial case for safety is straightforward. A single serious injury on your job site can cost your business six figures in direct and indirect costs — medical expenses through L&I, increased premium rates for three or more years, OSHA/DOSH penalties, potential lawsuits, project delays, crew disruption, and reputation damage. The investment required to prevent that injury — training, equipment, supervision, planning — is a fraction of the cost. Safety is not overhead. It is profit protection.

Washington DOSH Requirements

DOSH administers and enforces Washington's Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA), codified in WAC 296-155 for construction. Washington is a "state plan" state, meaning it runs its own occupational safety program that has been approved by federal OSHA. DOSH standards must be at least as effective as federal OSHA standards, and in several areas, Washington's requirements are more stringent.

Key DOSH requirements for contractors:

Written accident prevention program (APP). Every employer in Washington with one or more employees must have a written accident prevention program. This is not optional and it is not a suggestion. WAC 296-800-140 requires the APP to include a safety orientation for new employees, regular safety meetings, identification of workplace hazards, procedures for reporting unsafe conditions, and the name of the person responsible for safety. DOSH inspectors routinely ask to see your APP during inspections, and failure to have one is a citable violation.

Safety meetings. Contractors must hold regular safety meetings with all employees. The frequency depends on the hazard level of the work, but monthly meetings are the minimum for most construction operations. Many contractors hold weekly toolbox talks on active job sites, which satisfies the requirement and keeps safety awareness current.

Fall protection. Washington requires fall protection at heights of 10 feet in construction (compared to 6 feet under federal OSHA for general industry). Fall protection can include guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems depending on the work being performed. Falls are consistently the leading cause of death in construction nationally, and DOSH enforces fall protection standards aggressively.

Hazard communication. Contractors who use or store hazardous chemicals (paints, solvents, adhesives, concrete additives, fuels) must maintain a hazard communication program that includes safety data sheets (SDS) for all chemicals, employee training on chemical hazards, and proper labeling of all containers.

Trenching and excavation. Excavation work requires protective systems (shoring, sloping, or trench boxes) for trenches 4 feet deep or more. A competent person must inspect excavations daily and after any event that could affect stability (rain, vibration, material changes).

Top Safety Risks by Trade

Different trades face different primary hazards. Understanding the specific risks associated with your work helps you prioritize your safety efforts where they matter most.

General Contractors

General contractors face the full spectrum of construction hazards because they oversee multiple trades on the same site. Your primary safety responsibilities include coordinating safety among multiple subcontractors, maintaining general site conditions (housekeeping, access, fall protection on common areas), conducting regular site safety inspections, and ensuring all workers on site have completed required training.

Roofers

Falls are the dominant hazard. Every roofing operation requires a fall protection plan before work begins. Additional risks include heat illness during summer months, manual material handling injuries from lifting heavy bundles, and chemical exposure from adhesives and solvents.

Electricians

Electrical shock and arc flash are the trade-specific hazards. Lockout/tagout procedures, proper PPE (arc-rated clothing, insulated gloves, face shields), and verification of de-energized circuits are non-negotiable. Electricians also face fall hazards when working on ladders, lifts, and in attic or crawl spaces.

Plumbers

Confined space entry (sewer lines, utility vaults, crawl spaces) creates atmospheric and entrapment hazards. Trenching and excavation for underground pipe work requires protective systems. Manual material handling of heavy pipe, fixtures, and equipment generates strain and musculoskeletal injuries.

HVAC Technicians

Working at heights (rooftop units, elevated ductwork), exposure to refrigerants and combustion gases, electrical hazards from wiring and controls, and manual handling of heavy equipment are the primary risks. Sheet metal work adds cut and laceration hazards.

Concrete and Masonry

Silica dust exposure from cutting, grinding, and demolishing concrete is a serious respiratory hazard that DOSH regulates under specific permissible exposure limits. Manual material handling, chemical burns from wet concrete, and struck-by hazards from formwork and heavy materials round out the risk profile.

PPE and Equipment Standards

Personal protective equipment is the last line of defense — not the first. PPE should supplement engineering and administrative controls, not replace them. That said, proper PPE is mandatory on construction sites and DOSH enforces PPE requirements vigorously.

Hard hats. Required on all construction sites where there is a risk of head injury from falling objects, bumping against fixed objects, or accidental contact with electrical conductors. Hard hats must meet ANSI Z89.1 standards and be inspected regularly for cracks, dents, or degradation.

Eye and face protection. Safety glasses with side shields are the minimum for general construction work. Grinding, cutting, welding, and chemical handling require additional protection — goggles, face shields, or welding helmets as appropriate.

Hearing protection. Construction workers are routinely exposed to noise levels that cause permanent hearing loss. Power tools, heavy equipment, impact drivers, and demolition work frequently exceed the 85-decibel action level. Provide earplugs or earmuffs and enforce their use in high-noise operations.

Respiratory protection. Any operation that generates dust, fumes, or vapors requires respiratory protection appropriate to the hazard. Silica dust from concrete cutting is one of the most common respiratory exposures in construction. DOSH requires a written respiratory protection program, medical evaluations, and fit testing for employees who wear respirators.

Fall protection equipment. Harnesses, lanyards, self-retracting lifelines, and anchor points must meet ANSI standards and be inspected before each use. Damaged equipment must be removed from service immediately — not repaired, not set aside for later, removed.

High-visibility clothing. Required for workers near vehicle and equipment traffic. On roadway construction, flaggers must wear ANSI Class 2 or Class 3 high-visibility vests or jackets.

Building a Safety Program

A safety program is not a binder on a shelf. It is a set of active practices that your crew follows every day on every job site. The most effective safety programs share several characteristics.

Written policies and procedures. Start with your accident prevention program as required by WAC 296-800-140. Add trade-specific procedures for the hazards your crews face most frequently — fall protection plans, confined space entry procedures, lockout/tagout programs, trenching competent person designation.

New employee orientation. Every new hire should receive a safety orientation before they start work. Cover your company's safety policies, the specific hazards of their assigned work, emergency procedures, how to report unsafe conditions, and where to find PPE and safety equipment. Document the orientation with the employee's signature.

Regular training. Safety training is not a one-time event. Conduct toolbox talks weekly on active job sites, covering the specific hazards of the current phase of work. Provide formal training on topics that require certification — fall protection, confined space, hazardous materials, first aid/CPR, forklift operation.

Job hazard analysis (JHA). Before starting any task with significant hazard potential, conduct a brief job hazard analysis. Identify the steps of the task, the hazards associated with each step, and the controls you will use to manage those hazards. A JHA takes 10 to 15 minutes and can prevent injuries that cost thousands of dollars and weeks of lost time.

Incident investigation. When an injury or near-miss occurs, investigate it. Not to assign blame, but to understand what happened and prevent recurrence. Near-misses are particularly valuable because they reveal hazards without the cost of an actual injury. Create a culture where reporting near-misses is encouraged, not punished.

Management commitment. Safety programs fail when management treats them as paperwork rather than practice. If the owner or superintendent cuts corners on safety to save time or money, the crew will follow that example. The most effective safety programs are the ones where leadership demonstrates — through actions, not just words — that safety takes priority over schedule.

Training Requirements in Washington

DOSH requires specific training for various construction activities. Failure to provide required training is a citable violation that generates penalties regardless of whether an injury has occurred.

First aid and CPR. At least one person trained in first aid and CPR must be on every construction site where employees are working. On remote sites where emergency medical services cannot reach within a reasonable time, additional trained personnel may be required.

Fall protection. All employees who may be exposed to fall hazards must be trained on the proper use, inspection, and maintenance of fall protection systems before they are exposed to the hazard.

Scaffold training. Employees who work on scaffolds must be trained by a qualified person on the hazards associated with the type of scaffold being used, the proper procedures for erection and dismantling, maximum load capacity, and fall protection requirements.

Confined space. Employees who enter permit-required confined spaces must complete training that covers the hazards of the specific space, entry procedures, atmospheric monitoring, rescue procedures, and use of required equipment.

Hazard communication. All employees who work with or near hazardous chemicals must receive training on the chemicals present in their work area, how to read safety data sheets, and what to do in case of exposure.

How Subcontractor Safety Affects You

If you are a general contractor, the safety performance of your subcontractors directly affects your business. DOSH can cite the controlling contractor — typically the GC — for safety violations committed by subcontractors on the site. Even when DOSH does not cite the GC, an injury to a subcontractor's employee creates project delays, potential litigation, and reputation damage.

Prequalify subcontractors on safety. Before hiring a sub, ask for their experience modification rate (EMR), their OSHA incident rate, a copy of their safety program, and references from recent projects. Subcontractors with poor safety records are a liability on your job site.

Include safety requirements in subcontracts. Your subcontract should specify compliance with all DOSH and OSHA standards, required PPE, drug and alcohol policies, safety meeting attendance, and the GC's right to remove unsafe workers from the site.

Conduct regular safety inspections. Walk the site regularly with an eye toward subcontractor safety compliance. Document violations and require immediate correction. A pattern of documented inspections and corrections demonstrates that you are actively managing site safety, which is important both for DOSH compliance and for defending against potential litigation.

How Safety Affects Your Insurance Premiums

In Washington, workers' compensation premiums are administered through L&I's state fund. Your premiums are based on your risk classification (which trade you work in) and your experience factor — a modifier that reflects your actual claims history relative to the average for your classification.

A clean safety record lowers your premiums. Contractors with fewer and less severe claims than the industry average receive an experience factor below 1.0, which reduces their premiums. A contractor with a 0.80 experience factor pays 20% less than the base rate. Over multiple years and across a payroll of $500,000 or more, that 20% reduction represents thousands of dollars in savings.

Injuries increase your premiums for years. A single serious claim can push your experience factor above 1.0 for three or more years, meaning you pay above-average premiums on every hour of labor for an extended period. The financial impact of a $50,000 claim is not just the $50,000 — it is the premium increase compounded over years of payroll.

General liability premiums reflect safety too. While L&I sets workers' comp rates, your general liability insurer also considers your claims history when setting premiums and determining whether to renew your policy. A pattern of claims — especially liability claims involving property damage or third-party injuries — leads to higher premiums, higher deductibles, or non-renewal.

Safety programs can qualify you for discounts. Some insurers offer premium credits for contractors who maintain documented safety programs, conduct regular training, and have EMR factors below 1.0. Ask your insurance agent whether your safety program qualifies you for any available discounts.

Protect Your Crew and Your Business

Job site safety and proper insurance work together. Safety programs reduce the incidents that generate claims, and insurance protects your business when incidents happen despite your best efforts. SmartInsured specializes in contractor insurance for Washington businesses, with coverage and rates that reflect your safety record and your commitment to protecting your crew. Get a quote today and see how the right coverage complements the safety culture you are building.