WAC 296-800-16055 · Washington · FY2020 to FY2026
Head Protection in Washington: OSHA citations under WAC 296-800-16055, FY2020 to FY2026
42 citation items at inspected sites in Washington, from 42 inspections.
From Oct 1, 2019 to Sep 30, 2026, the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data record 42 citation items under WAC 296-800-16055 at inspected sites in Washington, from 42 inspections, issued between October 2019 and September 2026. They fall in FY2020, FY2021, FY2022, FY2023, FY2024, FY2025 and FY2026. 4 of the 42 cases have no close date in the data yet. These counts describe inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
The Washington State Plan office writes its citations under Washington rule numbers, not 29 CFR numbers: in FY2025 and FY2026, all 24,742 items it recorded carry a WAC number. For head protection, Washington's own text is WAC 296-800-16055, so this page counts the items under it. No item in the data carries 29 CFR 1910.135 in Washington.
What Washington's own rule says about head protection
Washington prints this rule in chapter 296-800 WAC, Safety and health core rules. The sentences below are copied word for word from the text published by the Washington State Legislature, read on Oct 21, 2026.
(1)
“You must make sure employees wear appropriate protective helmets. (a) Where employees are exposed to hazards that could cause a head injury. Examples of this type of hazard include: (i) Flying or propelled objects. (ii) Falling objects or materials. (b) Where employees are working around or under scaffolds or other overhead structures.”
Read WAC 296-800-16055 on app.leg.wa.gov (opens in a new tab)
The federal text on the same subject is 29 CFR 1910.135.
Citations on head protection in Washington by fiscal year
| Fiscal year (Oct to Sep) | Under WAC 296-800-16055 |
|---|---|
| FY2020 | 8 |
| FY2021 | 3 |
| FY2022 | 4 |
| FY2023 | 8 |
| FY2024 | 6 |
| FY2025 | 5 |
| FY2026 (to date) | 8 |
The most items fall in FY2020 (8). WAC 296-800-16055(1) is the paragraph cited most: 41 of the 42 items under WAC 296-800-16055 (98%).
Washington sections cited for head protection
| Section | Title | Items | Paragraphs cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAC 296-800-16055 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Make sure your employees use appropriate head protection | 42 | (1): 41; whole section: 1 |
Of the 42 citation items, the data classify 1 repeat item, 38 serious items and 3 other-than-serious items.
The 42 inspections behind the Washington items
71% of the 42 inspections with a recorded headcount were at sites with 1 to 10 employees. The headcount is the inspected site's, not the employer's total.
| 1 to 10 | 30 |
| 11 to 25 | 3 |
| 26 to 100 | 6 |
| 101 to 250 | 2 |
| 251 to 1,000 | 1 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 10 |
| Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support | 2 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 2 |
| Industrial Machinery Manufacturing | 2 |
| Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 1 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 1 |
| Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development | 1 |
| RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps | 1 |
The 12 most recent inspections
| Issued | Items | Paragraphs | Employees at the site | Industry (NAICS) | Office | Case closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Administration of Environmental Quality Programs | State Plan | Not yet |
| July 2026 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Support Activities for Water Transportation | State Plan | Not yet |
| July 2026 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities | State Plan | Not yet |
| April 2026 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 11 to 25 | General Freight Trucking | State Plan | August 2026 |
| March 2026 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Services to Buildings and Dwellings | State Plan | May 2026 |
| March 2026 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Services to Buildings and Dwellings | State Plan | June 2026 |
| December 2025 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 26 to 100 | Employment Services | State Plan | February 2026 |
| November 2025 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Home Furnishings Stores | State Plan | March 2026 |
| June 2025 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Services to Buildings and Dwellings | State Plan | August 2026 |
| March 2025 | 1 other-than-serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 251 to 1,000 | Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing | State Plan | September 2025 |
| January 2025 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 1 to 10 | Direct Selling Establishments | State Plan | Not yet |
| December 2024 | 1 serious item | WAC 296-800-16055(1) | 11 to 25 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | State Plan | September 2025 |
Who enforced in Washington
Washington has an OSHA-approved State Plan that ordinarily covers private-sector employers and state and local government workers. All 42 items were recorded by the State Plan's office. OSHA's page on the Washington State Plan, with its coverage.
Next steps for a Washington employer
- Federal text of the standard: 29 CFR 1910.135
- Free tool: PPE Selector
- Free tool: HazCom Compliance Scorer
- Software: HazComFast EHS software
- Penalty maximums: OSHA penalties in Washington
Counted by HazComFast from Department of Labor OSHA data extracted Oct 20, 2026, deleted items left out; not a figure OSHA publishes. The Labor Department adds citations with a delay, so FY2026 is still incomplete and the live database can change any count. The rule text was read on Oct 21, 2026 in the publication of the Washington State Legislature. Method. Not legal advice.