This chapter applies when your employees are, or could be, exposed to an airborne hazard.

1. (1) The following are examples of airborne contaminants that may become airborne hazards in some workplaces:

   1. (a) Chemicals listed in Table 3, Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) for Airborne Contaminants;

   2. (b) Any substance:

      1. (i) Listed in the latest edition of the NIOSH Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances;
      2. (ii) For which positive evidence of an acute or chronic health hazard exists through tests conducted by, or known to, the employer;
      3. (iii) That may pose a hazard to human health as stated on a safety data sheet (SDS) kept by, or known to, the employer.

   3. (c) Biological agents such as harmful bacteria, viruses or fungi.

      1. (i) TB aerosols;
      2. (ii) Anthrax;
      3. (iii) Pesticides;
      4. (iv) Chemicals used as crowd control agents, such as pepper spray; and
      5. (v) Chemicals present at clandestine drug labs.

      Examples include:

2. (2) Airborne contaminants exist in a variety of physical forms such as dusts, fibers, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smoke, sprays, vapors, or aerosols.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 17-18-075, § 296-841-100, filed 9/5/17, effective 10/6/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060 and 29 C.F.R. 1910 Subpart Z. WSR 14-07-086, § 296-841-100, filed 3/18/14, effective 5/1/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-05-062, § 296-841-100, filed 2/20/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 06-08-087, § 296-841-100, filed 4/4/06, effective 9/1/06; WSR 05-17-168, § 296-841-100, filed 8/23/05, effective 1/1/06; WSR 04-18-079, § 296-841-100, filed 8/31/04, effective 11/1/04; WSR 03-20-115, § 296-841-100, filed 10/1/03, effective 1/1/04.]