WAC 296-809-40002. Provide employee training

(1) You must provide training at no cost to each employee involved in permit-required confined space activities. The training must be in a language and vocabulary they understand, so they acquire the understanding, knowledge and skills necessary to safely 1 perform assigned duties. (a) Establish employee proficiency in their confined space duties 2 . (b) Introduce new or revised procedures as necessary. (2) You must provide training to each affected employee; (a) Before an employee is first assigned to duties covered by this chapter. (b) Before there is a change in an employee's assigned duties. (c) When there is a permit-required confined space hazard for which the employee has not already been trained. (d) Retrain your employees if there are either: (i) Deviations from your procedures for permit-required confined space entry; or (ii) Employee knowledge or use of your procedures is inadequate. Notes: 1 Training topics include, but are not limited to: • Roles and responsibilities; • Hazards of the permit space; • Procedures from your program created to protect employees, such as methods used to isolate and control hazards, equipment use, equipment maintenance and evacuation; • For individuals not authorized to perform rescue, the dangers of attempting unauthorized rescue. 2 Employers can determine employee proficiency by: • Systematically observing employee performance using safe work procedures and equipment to perform specific job tasks during training exercises that simulate actual confined space conditions; • A comprehensive written exam; or • Any other method that is effective for the employer.