Washington WISHA and the Accident Prevention Program (APP)

Washington is one of the states that runs its own workplace-safety program rather than relying on federal OSHA — and like California, it requires a written safety program by name. It is also unusual on the insurance side, being one of a handful of monopolistic workers'-comp states. If you employ people in Washington, both of these change what compliance looks like. Here is what you need to know.

Washington runs its own OSHA

Washington is an OSHA State Plan state. Workplace safety is enforced under the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), part of the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Because a State Plan only has to be "at least as effective" as federal OSHA, Washington sets its own rules in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) — and several go beyond the federal minimum. So a Washington employer follows DOSH rules, not federal OSHA rules, even where the two cover the same ground.

The written Accident Prevention Program

The requirement most employers must not miss is the written Accident Prevention Program (APP). Under WISHA's core rules, virtually every Washington employer must develop, implement and maintain a written APP tailored to the hazards of its workplace. In substance it is Washington's equivalent of California's IIPP: it sets out how you identify and control hazards, how you train workers, how safety is communicated, and how the program is kept current. DOSH publishes sample templates — a general one and specialized versions for higher-risk sectors like construction, logging and agriculture — but, as always, the substance must describe your actual operation, not a generic download.

Alongside the APP, Washington employers carry a familiar set of duties: comply with the applicable DOSH rules, provide required personal protective equipment at no cost, train workers on hazards before they start a job, post safety notices and any citations, and protect workers from retaliation for raising safety concerns. Washington also requires employers to report a work-related death, in-patient hospitalization or amputation within 8 hours — a tight window worth building into your incident procedure.

The monopolistic workers' comp twist

Washington is one of only a few monopolistic workers'-compensation states (alongside North Dakota, Ohio and Wyoming). That means employers generally cannot buy workers' comp from private insurers — coverage is purchased through the state fund run by L&I. Larger employers may qualify to self-insure, but the open private market that exists in most states is not available here. Practically, this means your workers'-comp relationship in Washington is with the state, premiums are set through L&I's rating system, and — as everywhere — your claims experience drives your rates. A strong safety program that keeps injuries down is still the lever that controls your cost.

What Washington employers should hold

The centerpiece is a current, workplace-specific written Accident Prevention Program, backed by training records that prove it is implemented, hazard assessments and inspections, and the recordkeeping DOSH and the OSHA 300 rules require. Build your incident procedure around the 8-hour reporting rule for serious events, and keep your L&I workers'-comp account and reporting current. Because DOSH can and does set requirements beyond the federal baseline, check the specific WAC standards for your industry rather than assuming the federal rule is the whole story.

Operating in more than one state? Our OSHA State Plans overview explains how the rules shift as you cross state lines, and the California IIPP guide covers the closest equivalent to Washington's APP.