WAC 296-817 · Washington · FY2020 to FY2026
Noise Exposure in Washington: OSHA citations under WAC 296-817, FY2020 to FY2026
558 citation items at inspected sites in Washington, from 279 inspections.
From Oct 1, 2019 to Sep 30, 2026, the Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data record 558 citation items under WAC 296-817 at inspected sites in Washington, from 279 inspections, issued between October 2019 and September 2026. They fall in FY2020, FY2021, FY2022, FY2023, FY2024, FY2025 and FY2026. 18 of the 279 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 occupational noise exposure, Washington's own text is WAC 296-817, so this page counts the items under it. No item in the data carries 29 CFR 1910.95 in Washington.
What Washington's own rule says about occupational noise exposure
Washington prints these rules in chapter 296-817 WAC, Hearing loss prevention (noise). 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 conduct employee noise exposure monitoring to determine the employee's actual exposure when reasonable information indicates that any employee's exposure may equal or exceed 85 dBA TWA8.”
Read WAC 296-817-20005 on app.leg.wa.gov (opens in a new tab)
(1)
“You must train each employee whose noise exposure equals or exceeds 85 dBA TWA8.”
Read WAC 296-817-20020 on app.leg.wa.gov (opens in a new tab)
(1)
“You must use audiometric testing to identify hearing loss, which may indicate program deficiencies.”
Read WAC 296-817-20035 on app.leg.wa.gov (opens in a new tab)
The federal text on the same subject is 29 CFR 1910.95.
Citations on occupational noise exposure in Washington by fiscal year
| Fiscal year (Oct to Sep) | Under WAC 296-817 |
|---|---|
| FY2020 | 56 |
| FY2021 | 43 |
| FY2022 | 126 |
| FY2023 | 103 |
| FY2024 | 93 |
| FY2025 | 75 |
| FY2026 (to date) | 62 |
The most items fall in FY2022 (126). WAC 296-817-20005, Conduct employee noise exposure monitoring, accounts for 250 of the 558 items under WAC 296-817 (45%). WAC 296-817-20005(1) is the paragraph cited most: 181 of the 558 items under WAC 296-817 (32%).
Washington sections cited for occupational noise exposure
| Section | Title | Items | Paragraphs cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAC 296-817-20005 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Conduct employee noise exposure monitoring | 250 | (1): 181; whole section: 64; (3): 3; (5): 1 |
| WAC 296-817-20020 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Make sure exposed employees receive training about noise and hearing protection | 94 | (2): 63; whole section: 18; (5): 7; (4): 6 |
| WAC 296-817-20035 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Identify and correct deficiencies in your hearing loss prevention program | 94 | (1): 70; whole section: 19; (3): 3; (2): 2 |
| WAC 296-817-20015 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Make sure employees use hearing protection when their noise exposure equals or exceeds 85 dBA TWA8 | 47 | (1): 31; (2): 10; whole section: 6 |
| WAC 296-817-20010 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Control employee noise exposures that equal or exceed 90 dBA TWA8 | 42 | whole section: 42 |
| WAC 296-817-20025 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Make sure warning signs are posted for areas where noise levels equal or exceed 115 dBA | 15 | (1): 13; whole section: 2 |
| WAC 296-817-20040 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Document your hearing loss prevention activities | 11 | (1): 4; whole section: 4; (2): 2; (3): 1 |
| WAC 296-817-20030 (official text, opens in a new tab) | Arrange for oversight of audiometric testing | 5 | whole section: 4; (1): 1 |
Of the 558 citation items, the data classify 4 willful items, 13 repeat items, 313 serious items and 228 other-than-serious items.
The 279 inspections behind the Washington items
41% of the 279 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 | 115 |
| 11 to 25 | 54 |
| 26 to 100 | 83 |
| 101 to 250 | 16 |
| 251 to 1,000 | 9 |
| 1,001 or more | 2 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 18 |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance | 16 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 14 |
| Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing | 12 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 11 |
| Residential Building Construction | 9 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 9 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 8 |
The 12 most recent inspections
| Issued | Items | Paragraphs | Employees at the site | Industry (NAICS) | Office | Case closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 4 serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20015(1), WAC 296-817-20020(5), WAC 296-817-20035(1) | 26 to 100 | Accommodation and Food Services | State Plan | Not yet |
| September 2026 | 4 serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20010, WAC 296-817-20020(2), WAC 296-817-20035(1) | 1 to 10 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | State Plan | Not yet |
| September 2026 | 1 other-than-serious item | WAC 296-817-20005(1) | 26 to 100 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | State Plan | Not yet |
| August 2026 | 3 serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20010, WAC 296-817-20035(1) | 1 to 10 | Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | State Plan | Not yet |
| August 2026 | 3 serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20020(2), WAC 296-817-20035(1) | 251 to 1,000 | Junior Colleges | State Plan | Not yet |
| August 2026 | 1 serious item and 2 other-than-serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20020(2), WAC 296-817-20030(1) | 1 to 10 | Residential Building Construction | State Plan | Not yet |
| July 2026 | 4 serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20010, WAC 296-817-20020(2), WAC 296-817-20035(1) | 26 to 100 | Building Equipment Contractors | State Plan | Not yet |
| July 2026 | 2 serious items | WAC 296-817-20015(1), WAC 296-817-20020(2) | 101 to 250 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | State Plan | Not yet |
| June 2026 | 1 other-than-serious item | WAC 296-817-20005(1) | 26 to 100 | Office Administrative Services | State Plan | July 2026 |
| June 2026 | 3 serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20020(2), WAC 296-817-20035(1) | 11 to 25 | Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | State Plan | Not yet |
| June 2026 | 4 serious items | WAC 296-817-20005(1), WAC 296-817-20015(2), WAC 296-817-20020(2), WAC 296-817-20035(1) | 1 to 10 | Automotive Repair and Maintenance | State Plan | August 2026 |
| May 2026 | 1 other-than-serious item | WAC 296-817-20005(1) | 1 to 10 | Building Finishing Contractors | State Plan | July 2026 |
Who enforced in Washington
Washington has an OSHA-approved State Plan that ordinarily covers private-sector employers and state and local government workers. All 558 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 1910.95
- Free tool: Noise Exposure Calculator
- Free tool: PPE Selector
- 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.