For Washington state employers who have demonstrated indifference to their Washington Industrial and Safety and Health Act (WISHA) obligations, the Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) may add your company to Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP), which can result in increased enforcement actions.[1] Whether or not your business is…

Washington employers have been expressing alarm at the greatly increased amounts of some of the penalty citations L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) has been issuing recently, following the adoption last fall of an updated penalty matrix. To explain what’s going on, as well as explore best practices for avoiding and dealing with safety…

Part 2: Appeal process overview If your Washington company has just received a citation from the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH), what are your next steps? If you’re unsure what to do, be sure to appeal.[1] The date you receive the citation starts a strict appeal timeline. An appeal leaves you the most options…

Part 1:  Initial inspections If you are a Washington employer, you may find Washington Labor and Industry Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) representatives at your company site and ready to begin an inspection at any time. Do you have a plan for a DOSH visit and investigation? If you do, great—follow it! If…

Effective September 1, 2015, Washington employers will pay higher penalties for Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) citations. The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) changed its policies in October 2012, resulting in the penalty changes for WISHA. The new penalty calculation requires that the average penalty for serious violations (private sector employers…