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Article 06. ELECTRICAL SAFETY
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The department may accept contributions of funds, property, materials, supplies, and other forms of aid from business firms, organized groups, or individuals for furthering the safety program.
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Radiation sources shall be shielded, transported, handled, used, and kept to prevent users and other persons from being exposed to concentrations of radionuclides or levels of radiation exceeding those limits established by the department in regulations.
Equipment of less than 1.5 cubic feet in capacity is exempt from the provisions of AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460.
If a certificate or commission is lost or destroyed the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall issue a new certificate or commission without another examination.
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall employ deputy inspectors who have passed the examination provided for in AS 18.60.290.
The department shall, on the request of another state agency, contract with that agency to assist it in performing functions that require expertise in determining or reducing the hazards of radiation. This assistance may include conducting inspections and investigations and providing technical assistance.
A person who violates a provision of the code, and who, after receiving the notification required by AS 18.60.725 , refuses to correct the violation, after proof of the violation, is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000.
Repealed or Renumbered
Federal, state, and municipal law enforcement officers may enforce AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460.
Article 05. RADIATION PROTECTION
Upon being notified that a person is lost, injured, killed, or is in need of immediate rescue, the commissioner of public safety or a designee may appoint a competent person to organize, direct, and guide a search and rescue party for the purpose of rescuing or retrieving the person or the person's remains.
A person may not give unauthorized notice of a department safety or health inspection. A person who gives unauthorized notice of a safety or health inspection, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $7,000, or by imprisonment for not more than 180 days, or by both.
A person who installs electrical wiring not in compliance with minimum electrical standards as set out in AS 18.60.580 , and who fails to correct this wiring after having been notified in writing by an authorized inspector, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.
Toxic and hazardous substances imported into the state shall be accompanied by a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) form 20 or equivalent information. This requirement does not apply to a substance for which the in-state purchaser has already received the most current information.
After the American National Standards Institute approves a new, published edition of the National Electrical Code or a new, published edition of the National Electrical Safety Code, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development may, by regulation, adopt the most recent codes to constitute the minimum electrical safety standards of the state.
A person who violates AS 18.60.750 - 18.60.755 is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both.
The agencies of the state shall cooperate with the department in its program of safety activities and shall make available information needed by the department relative to the accident problems and methods employed or recommended for accident prevention. The agencies may lend the personnel who may be spared from their regular duties for short periods to assist in safety programs.
(a) The legislature finds that personal injuries and illnesses arising out of work situations impose a substantial burden upon, and are a hindrance to, the people of the state in terms of loss of production, wage loss, medical expenses, and disability compensation payments.
(b) For these reasons it is found and declared necessary to undertake a program to reduce the incidence of work-related accidents and health hazards in the state.
Each special inspector shall inspect all boilers and unfired pressure vessels insured or operated by the inspector's company. The owner and user of a boiler or unfired pressure vessel inspected by its special inspector is exempt from the payment of the inspection fees provided in AS 18.60.360 .
A person who fails to report a disappearance under AS 18.60.150 , or who violates a regulation adopted under AS 18.60.175 , is guilty of a misdemeanor.
The Department of Public Safety shall make the necessary administrative arrangements for maintaining liaison between the state and the Civil Air Patrol and the expenditure of money appropriated to the department for the state contribution toward the support of the authorized activities of the Alaska Wing, Civil Air Patrol, under its charter.
Repealed or Renumbered
Before the sixth day of each regular legislative session, the department shall prepare a report showing the accomplishments in this state toward reductions in accidents of all types, and recommendations for legislation, together with a plan for the proposed safety program for the succeeding year. Copies of the report shall be available for public information, and the department shall notify the legislature that the report is available.
(a) AS 18.60.580 - 18.60.660 cover only new installations and alterations to existing installations.
(b) These standards are the recommended minimum standards for all new structures in the state.
(a) The Alaska Safety Advisory Council may charge a fee for attendance at the annual governor's safety conference, based on the estimated cost to organize and hold the conference.
(b) The receipt and expenditure by the council of money from any source is subject to AS 37.07 (Executive Budget Act).
Article 12. PIPING CODES
(a) The regulations adopted by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development have the force and effect of law. However, the regulations applying to the construction of new boilers and unfired pressure vessels do not prevent their installation until the regulations become mandatory as provided in (b) of this section.
(b) Amendments in the regulations are permissive immediately upon adoption and become mandatory 12 months after adoption.
A person may not offer for sale an icebox, refrigerator, freezer, or similar equipment of a kind and size sufficient to permit the suffocation of a person unless the door can be opened easily from the inside, either by application of an outwardly directed force to the inside of the door or by the rotation of a knob similar to a conventional door knob.
Except where a city or borough ordinance is more strict in terms of the test and labeling standards for safety glazing material required or more broad in its application to persons or locations covered, AS 18.60.750 - 18.60.755 supersede a city or borough ordinance relating to safety glazing labels and materials.
In AS 18.60.800 - 18.60.820, 'elevator' includes elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators, and moving walks.
Article 11. ALASKA SAFETY ADVISORY COUNCIL
A person who violates a regulation, standard, or order of the department adopted or issued under AS 18.60.475 - 18.60.545 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both. Each day upon which a violation occurs constitutes a separate offense.
Every person who sells equipment subject to inspection under AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460 shall permit an authorized inspector to enter the premises where the equipment is stored, or offered for sale, for inspection during reasonable business hours.
A person individually or through an agent or employee may not operate a crane, derrick, power shovel, drilling rig, hoisting equipment, or similar apparatus, any part of which is capable of vertical, lateral, or swinging motion, unless the operator or the operator's employer posts and maintains, in plain view of the operator, a durable warning sign legible at 12 feet that reads as follows: 'It is unlawful to operate this equipment within 10 feet of high voltage lines.'
The United States of America Standards Institute Codes listed below are established as the piping codes for the state:
(1) B 31.1.0 - 1967 power piping;
(2) B 31.2 - 1968 fuel gas piping;
(3) B 31.8 - 1968 gas transmission and distribution piping system;
(4) B 31.3 - 1966 petroleum refining piping;
(5) B 31.4 - 1966 and B 31.4a - 1968 liquid petroleum transportation piping systems.
Article 13. HEALTH CARE PROTECTIONS
(a) The attorney general is legal counsel for the OSHA Review Board. The attorney general shall advise the board on legal matters arising in the discharge of its duties and represent the board in actions to which it is a party. If, in the opinion of the board, the public interest is not adequately represented by counsel in a proceeding, the attorney general, upon request of the board, shall represent the public interest.
(b) Subject to the approval of the attorney general, the board may employ temporary legal counsel from time to time in matters in which the board is involved.
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall give the examination for the position of deputy inspector or special inspector using the standard National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors examination. The examination shall be in writing. If an applicant fails to pass the examination, the applicant may appeal to the department for another examination, which shall be given by the department within the next calendar quarter. The applicant and the applicant's employer shall have access to the record of an applicant's examination.
Information obtained by the department in connection with an inspection or proceeding related to enforcement of occupational safety and health standards that contains or that might reveal a trade secret referred to in 18 U.S.C. 1905 is confidential. However, the information may be disclosed to other officers or employees concerned with carrying out occupational safety and health enforcement activities. In a proceeding, the commissioner or the court as may be applicable shall issue orders as may be appropriate to protect the confidentiality of trade secrets.
Funds appropriated by the legislature for AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 and contributions shall be spent only for the purposes of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105.
AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 are not intended to abrogate the powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Department of Health and Social Services in carrying out the provisions of this title and AS 17.
A special inspector is not entitled to any compensation or expenses from the state. A special inspector's commission is conditioned upon continuing in the employ of a boiler insurance company or a company operating unfired pressure vessels in this state and upon maintaining the standards imposed by AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.390.
When the department finds, after inspection and examination of a source of radiation as constructed, operated, or maintained, that there has been a violation of a provision of AS 18.60.475 - 18.60.545, it shall notify the person causing or permitting the violation of the nature of the violation and order the person to stop it.
(a) Each company employing a special inspector shall, within 30 days following each inspection for certification as required by AS 18.60.390 for a boiler or unfired pressure vessel, file a report of the inspection with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development upon forms adopted by the department.
(b) In addition, a special inspector shall file with the department a report of an inspection that discloses a condition dangerous to life or property in a boiler or unfired pressure vessel.
No liability under AS 18.60.750 - 18.60.755 is created as to workers who are employees of a material supplier, contractor, subcontractor, or other employer responsible for compliance with AS 18.60.750 - 18.60.755.
A person may not dispose of an icebox, refrigerator, freezer, or similar equipment, other than a portable cooler, of a kind and size sufficient to permit the suffocation of a person inside the equipment without first removing the latches, hinges, or cover or otherwise rendering it safe. A person may not maintain equipment described in this section in an area that is unattended by an adult and accessible to a minor unless the person ensures that the equipment does not present an unreasonable hazard to the safety of a minor. A person may not allow a violation of this section on premises or in an area under the person's control.
An authorized inspector under this chapter shall give written notice to the owner of constructed premises, or the contractor of premises under construction, of each violation of applicable electrical standards discovered as a result of inspection. If within 15 days after receipt of written notice of an electrical violation, the person notified does not rectify the condition, the inspector shall notify the electric utility firm, public utility district, rural electrification association, or municipality district supplying power to the premises. Upon notice in writing from the inspector, the supplier of electrical power may discontinue services to the premises where the alleged violation exists.
A Department of Labor and Workforce Development inspector shall give written notice to the owner of an elevator of each violation of safety standards as a result of inspection by the inspector. If within 15 days after receipt of written notice of a safety violation the person notified does not rectify the condition, the commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall authorize the elevator to be closed until the safety violations are rectified.
A person aggrieved by an order or act of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development or of an inspector under AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460 may, within 15 days after notice of the order or act, request a hearing under AS 44.62.330 - 44.62.640.
(1) 'high voltage' means a voltage in excess of 750 volts between conductors or between any single conductor and the ground;
(2) 'overhead lines or overhead conductors' means all bare or insulated electrical conductors installed aboveground except those that are deenergized and grounded or enclosed in iron pipe or other metal covering of equal strength.
Article 08. PLUMBING CODE
The Department of Public Safety shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out the duties assigned by AS 18.60.120 - 18.60.170, including regulations dealing with the handling of nonexpendable property purchased during a search or rescue mission and expenditures of money for search and rescue. The regulations shall be adopted in accordance with AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act).
If a person (1) mysteriously disappears in the state, or (2) leaves one locality to go to another in the state and fails within a reasonable time to reach the person's destination, or (3) traveling in company with another is separated from the other, or (4) traveling alone mysteriously disappears, a traveling companion or any other person having knowledge of the mysterious disappearance or separation shall notify the commissioner of public safety or a designee in the district in which the disappearance or separation took place of the fact, in writing, stating all the circumstances.
A person individually or through an agent or employee may not
(1) place any type of tool, equipment, machinery, or material that is capable of lateral, vertical, or swinging motion, within 10 feet of a high voltage overhead electrical line or conductor;
(2) store, operate, erect, maintain, move, or transport tools, machinery, equipment, supplies, materials, apparatus, buildings, or other structures within 10 feet of a high voltage overhead electrical line or conductor.
The expense of the search and rescue party shall be paid out of the state treasury upon vouchers properly made out, signed, and sworn to by the person appointed to direct the search and rescue party. The oath to the voucher shall be taken and made before the commissioner of public safety or a designee and may be paid only after it has been approved by the commissioner of public safety or a designee. In approving the voucher, the commissioner of public safety or a designee shall consider the necessity of the search and rescue party, the reasonableness of the expenses, and the proper audit of the voucher.
When the department finds that an emergency exists requiring immediate action to protect the public health or welfare from radiation, it may issue an order reciting the existence of an emergency and requiring that action be taken to meet the emergency. The order is effective immediately. A person to whom an order is directed shall comply with it immediately, but on application to the department shall be given a hearing under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act). After a hearing, the department may affirm, revoke, or modify the order.
(a) A department inspector shall give written notice to the owner of a constructed premise or the contractor of a premise under construction of each violation of the code. The notice of violation must accurately describe the violation and give specific reference to the section and paragraph of the code. In addition, the notice must prescribe the necessary changes so that the work will comply with the code.
(b) In case of complaints by a contractor, builder, or installer charging arbitrary actions or incompetence on the part of an inspector, the commissioner, after reviewing written presentation of the dispute, may require reinspection by a new inspector who has no connection with either disputant.
Unless the Department of Labor and Workforce Development establishes by regulation a different edition, the most current edition of the National Board Inspection Code Manual for Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors constitutes the minimum boiler and pressure vessel inspection standard of the state for boilers and pressure vessels after they have received their initial inspection certificates from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development may adopt regulations for the maximum practical implementation of the manual and may grant an exception from a specific provision of the manual when the department determines that the implementation of the provision would be impractical.
(a) A power boiler, low pressure boiler, or unfired pressure vessel that does not conform to the regulations adopted by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development governing new construction and installation may not be installed and operated unless it is of special design or construction, and is not covered by the regulations, or is not in any way inconsistent with the regulations, in which case the Department of Labor and Workforce Development may issue a special installation and operating permit.
(b) A person who installs a boiler or unfired pressure vessel shall notify the Department of Labor and Workforce Development of the installation, using a form provided by the department.
(a) Each lite of safety glazing material manufactured, distributed, imported, sold for use, or installed in hazardous locations in the state shall be permanently labeled by etching, sandblasting, firing of ceramic material, hot-die stamping, transparent pressure sensitive labels, or by other suitable means to ensure that the labeling will be permanent. The label must identify the manufacturer, fabricator, seller, or installer, the thickness and type of safety glazing material, and the fact that the material meets the test requirements of the American National Standards Institute Standard (ANSI Standard) Z-97.1-1972.
(b) The label must be visible and legible after installation, and the label may not be used on other than safety glazing materials.
A person, corporation, electric utility firm, public utility district, rural electrification association, or municipal utility district authorized under AS 18.60.610 to provide inspection services may charge a fee for these services. After notice and hearing, the department shall set a schedule of maximum fees for inspection services rendered under AS 18.60.580 - 18.60.660. The department may review the schedule every two years after giving notice and hearing.
(a) The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall issue the orders and adopt the regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105.
(b) Upon adopting a regulation or standard, or granting any variance under this chapter, the commissioner shall include a statement of the reasons for the action, forward a copy to the OSHA Review Board, cause a copy to be published in newspapers, and submit a news release to the electronic news media in the state so as to receive statewide coverage.
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development may suspend an inspection certificate when, in its opinion, the boiler or unfired pressure vessel for which it was issued cannot be operated without menace to the public safety, or when the boiler or unfired pressure vessel does not comply with the regulations. A special inspector has this same power to suspend an inspection certificate for an insured boiler or unfired pressure vessel or an unfired pressure vessel operated by the company employing the special inspector. Suspension of an inspection certificate continues in effect until reinstatement. A certificate may not be reinstated until the boiler or unfired pressure vessel conforms to the rules and regulations of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
(a) Each inspection under AS 18.60.320 shall be made by a deputy inspector employed under AS 18.60.230 , an approved inspector appointed under AS 18.60.235 (a), or by a special inspector commissioned under AS 18.60.240.
(b) [Repealed, Sec. 5 ch 37 SLA 1992].
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall administer AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460. It may appoint inspectors and inspect all iceboxes, refrigerators, freezers, and similar equipment of a kind and size sufficient to permit the suffocation of a person if the equipment is shipped into the state.
(a) The department may
(1) adopt regulations to carry out the purposes of AS 18.60.580 - 18.60.660;
(2) inspect the electrical wiring of any place of employment or public structure in this state.
(b) The department shall
(1) keep a record of all inspection fees collected;
(2) keep a record of all electrical inspections conducted.
A person may not bring a civil action for damages against the state, a political subdivision of the state, or the officers, agents, or employees of the state or a political subdivision of the state for a death, personal injury, or property damage that results from an act or omission in performing or failing to perform activities or duties authorized under AS 18.60.120 - 18.60.175. This section does not apply to a civil action for damages as a result of intentional misconduct within the course and scope of employment or agency and with complete disregard for the safety and property of others.
A person may not operate a boiler or unfired pressure vessel under pressure without a valid inspection certificate as provided for in AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.390. The operation of a boiler or unfired pressure vessel without an inspection certificate, or at a pressure exceeding that specified in the inspection certificate, is a misdemeanor and the owner, user, or operator is punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both. Each day of unlawful operation is a separate offense.
(1) 'code' means the code adopted under AS 18.60.705 ;
(2) 'commissioner' means the commissioner of labor and workforce development;
(3) 'department' means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
(4) 'inspector' means a qualified inspector employed by, designated by, or under contract to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Article 09. SAFETY GLAZING
The department is responsible for the administration of the code. The department may adopt regulations designed for maximum practical implementation of the code, and may grant exceptions from specific code provisions, where distance or other factors make implementation impractical. Specific consideration shall be given to outlying villages and sparsely populated areas to ensure that AS 18.60.705 - 18.60.740 will not impose an undue financial burden. The department may by regulation designate appropriate inspection to a public or private utility company. A company so designated may refuse utility connections if an installation does not meet the requirements of this code.
AS 18.60.670 - 18.60.695 do not apply to
(1) activities relating to high voltage overhead conductors or their supporting structures conducted by persons authorized by the operator or owner of high voltage overhead conductors or their supporting structures;
(2) work done on telephone or communication circuits or their supporting structures;
(3) the operation or maintenance of equipment traveling or moving upon fixed rails of a railroad; or
(4) emergency situations in which life is endangered.
(a) The department may by regulation adopt amendments to the National Electrical Code as approved and issued by the American National Standards Institute.
(b) AS 18.60.580 - 18.60.660 do not affect the authority of any municipality or rural electrification association to prescribe by ordinance, rule, or order standards for their respective areas of jurisdiction not less stringent than the standards prescribed by the department or those established under AS 18.60.580 .
Before a person is going to temporarily engage in work or other activity in closer proximity to a high voltage line or conductor than is permitted by AS 18.60.670 , the person shall immediately notify the operator or owner of the high voltage line or conductor of the work to be performed and make appropriate arrangements, with payment satisfactory to the operator, for the installation of temporary mechanical barriers, temporary deenergization and grounding of the conductors, or a temporary raising of the conductors. Costs incurred by an operator or owner of a high voltage line or conductor in providing barriers, deenergization, and grounding as specified in this section shall be paid by the person engaging in the work that requires these protective measures.
The commissioner of public safety or a designee shall file each notification of disappearance with the missing persons information clearinghouse under AS 18.65.620 , and shall notify the peace officer in the district where the disappearance occurred or in the nearest districts where there is a peace officer to make an investigation regarding the disappearance. If the circumstances give reasonable grounds for suspicion that a murder has been committed or that a person has met with foul play, the peace officer shall report all the facts to the district attorney in the peace officer's district or the assistant district attorney living nearest the place where the peace officer resides. The district attorney or the assistant district attorney shall assist and advise the peace officer in the investigation.
As established by AS 23.10.075 , there is in the department a division of labor standards and safety. Minimum qualifications shall be established for employees of the department acting as safety inspectors under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105. These qualifications must include, as a minimum requirement, at least five years general work experience in the field they are assigned to inspect. Training in safety principles, codes, and standards may be substituted for work experience up to a maximum of three years.
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall formulate definitions and regulations for the safe and proper construction, installation, repair, use, and operation of boilers and for the safe and proper construction, installation, and repair of unfired pressure vessels. The definitions and regulations must be based upon and shall follow the generally accepted nationwide engineering standards, formulae, and practices established for boiler and unfired pressure vessel construction and safety. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development may adopt the existing published codification of these definitions and regulations, known as the Boiler Construction Code of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and may adopt the amendments and interpretations made and published by that society. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall adopt amendments and interpretations to the code immediately upon their adoption by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers so that the definitions and regulations at all times follow generally accepted nationwide engineering standards.
(a) The Department of Labor and Workforce Development or a deputy or special inspector shall be given free access, during reasonable hours, to any premises where a boiler or unfired pressure vessel is being constructed, installed, or operated, for the purpose of determining whether the boiler or unfired pressure vessel is constructed, installed, and operated in accordance with AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.390.
(b) An approved inspector appointed under AS 18.60.235 (a) has the right of access provided in (a) of this section, but only for the purpose of making the determinations described in (a) of this section for a cast iron boiler or domestic hot water heater.
(1) 'commissioner' means commissioner of labor and workforce development;
(2) 'department' means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
(3) 'electrical wiring' means the entire electrical system, including all conducting and shielding material, all regulatory and safety apparatus, and all devices and techniques used in the process of installation;
(4) 'public structures' mean buildings such as hotels, resident housing with more than one rental unit, restaurants, taverns, lodging houses, children's homes, auditoriums, town halls, or any structure designed or used for public assembly whether publicly or privately financed.
Article 07. HIGH VOLTAGE LINES
(a) An employer shall conduct a safety education program for an employee before the employee performs a new work assignment that may result in the employee being exposed to a toxic or hazardous substance or a physical agent for which the employee has not received safety instruction as provided under (b) of this section.
(b) An employee safety instruction program shall inform the employee of
(1) the location, properties, and known or suspected acute and chronic health effects of the hazardous or toxic substances or physical agents to which the employee is exposed in the workplace;
(2) the nature of the operations that could result in exposure to hazardous or toxic substances or physical agents as well as any necessary handling or hygienic practices or precautions; and
(3) the location, purpose, proper use, and limitations of personal protective equipment used in the workplace.
(a) A supplier, contractor, or installer, other than a private homeowner installing glazing material in an owner-occupied single dwelling, may not knowingly install, have installed, or consent to the installation of glazing materials other than safety glazing materials in a hazardous location.
(b) Bid specifications for contracts for public buildings, public works, or other public improvements where the use of glazing material is required must include a provision that only safety glazing material that meets the test and labeling standards set out in AS 18.60.750 shall be used in the construction of public buildings, public works, or other public improvements under AS 35.10 and AS 35.15.
A person aggrieved by an order or act of a deputy inspector employed under AS 18.60.230 or an approved inspector appointed under AS 18.60.235(a) may, within 15 days after notice of the order or act, appeal to the commissioner of labor and workforce development. The commissioner of labor and workforce development or the commissioner's designee shall hold a hearing within 30 days of the appeal but shall give at least 10 days' written notice of the hearing to all interested parties. Within 30 days after the hearing, the commissioner of labor and workforce development or the commissioner's designee shall issue an order approving or disapproving the order or act and shall give a copy of the order to all interested parties. Within 30 days after the order of the commissioner of labor and workforce development or the commissioner's designee, a person aggrieved may file an appeal in the superior court for review. The court shall summarily hear the appeal and may make an appropriate order or decree.
(a) An employer shall make available to an employee on request a copy of the most recent OSHA form 20 or equivalent written information for a toxic or hazardous substance or for a physical agent to which the employee may be exposed. If the employer does not have the copy or information requested, the employer shall request a copy from the department or the manufacturer of the substance within three state government working days after receiving the request.
(b) If the copy or information requested under (a) of this section is not made available to the employee within 15 calendar days after the request is received, the employer shall take measures to assure that employees are not exposed to the substance to which the copy or information pertains until the copy or information is made available to the employee who made the request. This subsection applies only to substances for which an OSHA form 20 or equivalent information is required under OSHA regulations. This subsection does not alter, deny, or abrogate any right an employee may have under law to refuse to work under hazardous circumstances.
AS 18.60.705 - 18.60.740 do not affect the authority of a municipality to prescribe by ordinance, rule, or order, standards for their respective areas of jurisdiction no less stringent than those established under AS 18.60.705 . AS 18.60.705 - 18.60.740 are not intended to duplicate or preempt code administration or enforcement by municipalities. An organized municipality or unorganized village having less than 2,500 population is exempt from the provisions of AS 18.60.705 - 18.60.740.
(a) If, upon inspection, a boiler or an unfired pressure vessel complies with the regulations of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the owner or user shall pay to the department a certificate fee to be established by regulation by the commissioner of labor and workforce development. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall issue to the owner or user an inspection certificate showing the date of inspection and specifying the maximum pressure under which the boiler or unfired pressure vessel may be operated. The certificate shall be posted in a location convenient to the boiler or unfired pressure vessel.
(b) A company authorized by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development under AS 21.09 to insure boilers or unfired pressure vessels shall notify the Department of Labor and Workforce Development each time it discontinues the insurance for a boiler or unfired pressure vessel located in the state. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall terminate the inspection certificate and require a reinspection if the insurance was terminated because of a condition dangerous to life or property.
Upon application to the department, a person, corporation, electric utility firm, public utility district, rural electrification association, or municipal utility district furnishing electrical current may be authorized by the commissioner to inspect the electrical wiring for a public or commercial structure as defined in AS 18.60.660 to which it is to furnish electrical current before energizing the electrical system on, in, or about the premises. Authorization by the commissioner under this section constitutes a grant of full authority to act within the provisions of AS 18.60.580 - 18.60.660 with the same immunities and privileges accorded to the state in the performance of these duties. A person or entity whose electrical wiring installation is found by the authorized inspector not to meet the standards prescribed has the right to appeal to the commissioner for a new inspection. The commissioner shall, within 15 days, furnish a new inspection by a designee not associated with the person, firm, or utility that did the original inspection.
The Alaska Safety Advisory Council shall
(1) work in cooperation with official and unofficial organizations and instrumentalities in the state that are interested in promotion of safety so that possible resources can be marshalled and used to reduce the menace of accidental death and injury;
(2) coordinate with and make recommendations to
(A) the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
(B) the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities;
(C) the Department of Public Safety;
(D) the Department of Education and Early Development;
(E) the Department of Natural Resources;
(F) the Department of Health and Social Services; and
(G) heads or representatives of federal departments and agencies operating in the state that are particularly concerned with safety programs and accident prevention;
(3) make recommendations to the governor and the legislature on the achievement of a coordinated state policy and program for the safety and health of residents of the state;
(4) organize and hold an annual governor's safety conference to bring together citizens interested in safety and health matters.
(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, a person who violates a provision of AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460 is guilty of a violation.
(b) A person who violates a provision of AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460 who has previously been convicted of violating AS 18.60.400 - 18.60.460 is guilty of a misdemeanor for which the maximum term of imprisonment that may be imposed is 30 days and the maximum fine that may be imposed is $500.
(c) The mental states that must be proved for an offense under (a) or (b) of this section are those described in AS 11.81.610 (b).
(a) A person who violates AS 18.60.670 - 18.60.695 is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both.
(b) If a violation of AS 18.60.670 - 18.60.695 results in physical or electrical contact with an overhead high voltage line or conductor, the violator is liable to the owner or operator of the high voltage line or conductor for all damage to the facilities and for all liability incurred by the owner or operator as a result of the unlawful activities.
(c) Each day on which a person fails to post or maintain a sign as required by AS 18.60.675 constitutes a separate and additional violation.
(a) An employer shall do everything necessary to protect the life, health, and safety of employees including, but not limited to
(1) complying with all occupational safety and health standards and regulations adopted by the department;
(2) furnishing and prescribing the use of suitable protective equipment, safety devices, and safeguards as are prescribed for the work and work place;
(3) adopting and prescribing control or technological procedures, and monitoring and measuring employee exposure in connection with hazards, as may be necessary for the protection of employees; and
(4) furnishing to each employee employment and a place of employment that are free from recognized hazards that, in the opinion of the commissioner, are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to the employees.
(b) An employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards and all regulations issued under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 that are applicable to the employee's own actions and conduct.
(c) [Repealed, Sec. 9 ch 72 SLA 1973].
(a) The commissioner of labor and workforce development shall, by regulation, establish reasonable fees to be charged for the inspection of boilers and unfired pressure vessels. Separate fees may be established for external inspection, internal inspection, shop inspection, and hydrostatic tests, and fees may vary depending upon the rated power, heating surface area, or cross sectional area of boilers and unfired pressure vessels.
(b) The owner or user of a boiler or unfired pressure vessel that is inspected by a deputy inspector employed under AS 18.60.230 or an approved inspector appointed under AS 18.60.235 (a) shall pay the department, upon completion of the inspection, the appropriate inspection fee established under (a) of this section.
(c) The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall give an official receipt for an inspection fee collected under this section and shall transfer the amount of the fee to the Department of Revenue for deposit in the building safety account created under AS 44.31.025 in the state treasury.
(a) The department shall print and make available to employers posters that contain notice of the provisions of this chapter relating to toxic and hazardous substances and physical agents.
(b) An employer whose employees are or may be exposed in the workplace to a toxic or hazardous substance or a physical agent shall display the following information in a manner designed to notify the employees:
(1) a poster printed by the department under (a) of this section; and
(2) an OSHA form 20 or equivalent information for each toxic or hazardous substance and for each physical agent to which an employee may be exposed in the workplace
(A) under normal conditions of work; or
(B) during a reasonably foreseeable emergency, including equipment failure and rupture of containers.
(c) Instead of posting the information required under (b)(2) of this section, an employer may post a list of the chemical name and product name of each toxic or hazardous substance and each physical agent to which an employee may be exposed in the workplace, together with an identification of a location, in or near the workplace and accessible to employees, where an employee may inspect the information listed under (b)(2) of this section.
(a) A representative of the employer and a representative authorized by the employees shall be given an opportunity to accompany the representative of the department during the physical inspection of a work place for the purpose of aiding the inspection. If the authorized representative is an employee, time spent aiding the inspection shall be considered as time worked and the employee shall be compensated accordingly. When there is no authorized employee representative, there shall be consultation with a reasonable number of employees concerning matters of health and safety in the work place.
(b) Comments relating to an employer's compliance with the provisions of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 made by an employee or an employee representative to the representative of the department during the course of an inspection, and the name of any employee or employee representative making these comments to a representative of the department, are confidential and may not be made available by the department to the employer without the consent of the employee or the employee representative.
In addition to the deputy boiler inspectors provided for in AS 18.60.230 and the approved inspectors appointed under AS 18.60.235 (a), the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall, upon the request of a company authorized by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development under AS 21.09 to insure against loss from explosion of boilers and unfired pressure vessels as described in AS 21.12.070 (a)(7), or upon the request of a company operating unfired pressure vessels, issue to an inspector of the company a state commission as a special inspector. However, to be eligible for a commission as special inspector, a person must have passed the examination provided for in AS 18.60.290 , or hold a certificate as an inspector of boilers from the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.
(a) In addition to the deputy inspectors employed under AS 18.60.230 and the special inspectors commissioned under AS 18.60.240 , the commissioner of labor and workforce development may appoint an employee of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development as an approved inspector if the employee has completed training by the chief inspector and has passed an examination that has been approved by the director of the division of labor standards and safety to perform inspections under AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.395 of cast iron boilers and domestic hot water heaters. An employee does not have to pass the examination described in AS 18.60.290 in order to be appointed an approved inspector under this subsection.
(b) The inspection authority of an approved inspector appointed under (a) of this section is limited to performing the inspections described in (a) of this section.
(a) A representative of the department, upon presenting appropriate credentials to the owner, operator, or agent in charge, may
(1) enter without delay and at reasonable times a factory, plant, establishment, construction site, or other area, work place, or environment where work is performed by an employee of an employer; and
(2) inspect and investigate during regular working hours and at other reasonable times, and with reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, a place of employment and all pertinent conditions, structures, machines, devices, equipment, and materials, and question privately an employer, owner, operator, agent, or employee.
(b) In making inspections and investigations under (a) of this section, the department may issue subpoenas compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers and records. Witnesses shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the courts of the state. If a person fails to grant a right of entry and inspection, the department may seek an order from the superior court compelling the person to submit to entry and inspection. If a person fails to comply with a subpoena or a witness refuses to testify to a matter regarding which the witness may be lawfully interrogated, a superior court may compel obedience by proceedings for contempt as in the case of disobedience of the requirements of a subpoena issued from the court or a refusal to testify before it.
(a) The commissioner, or a designated agent as authorized by the commissioner, may issue orders restraining a particular condition or practice in any place of employment that constitutes a danger that could reasonably be expected to immediately cause death or serious physical harm. The terms of an order issued under this section may require steps to be taken as necessary to avoid, correct, or remove the imminent danger and may prohibit the employment or presence of an individual in locations or under conditions where imminent danger exists. The terms of the order may allow the presence of individuals necessary to avoid, correct, or remove the imminent danger.
(b) When and as soon as a representative of the department concludes that conditions or practices described in (a) of this section exist in any place of employment, the representative shall inform the affected employees and employer of the danger and that the representative is recommending to the commissioner, or a designated agent as authorized by the commissioner, the issuance of a restraining order.
(c) The attorney general shall, when requested by the commissioner, seek an injunction in superior court to enforce a restraining order issued under this section.
(d) If the commissioner arbitrarily or capriciously fails to issue a restraining order under this section, an employee who may be injured by reason of the failure, or the representative of the affected employees, may bring an action against the commissioner in superior court to compel the commissioner to issue a restraining order and for further relief as may be appropriate.
(a) The department shall
(1) adopt regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of AS 18.60.475 - 18.60.545;
(2) develop comprehensive policies and programs for the evaluation and determination of hazards associated with the use of radiation sources and their amelioration;
(3) encourage, participate in, and conduct studies, investigations, training, research, and demonstrations relating to the control of radiation hazards, the measurement of radiation, the effects on health of exposure to radiation and related problems it considers necessary or advisable for the discharge of its duties;
(4) collect and disseminate health education information relating to radiation protection;
(5) review plans and shielding specifications for radiation sources;
(6) inspect radiation sources, their shielding and immediate surroundings, and records concerning their operation for the determination of possible radiation hazard;
(7) contract with other state agencies to assist them in performing functions that require expertise in determining and reducing the hazards of radiation.
(b) The department may keep confidential data obtained as a result of registration or investigation.
(a) The employer shall compensate any of the employer's employees who appear at a board hearing under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 for loss of wages if the employee appears at the hearing as the result of a request of the employer or as the result of a subpoena issued at the employer's request.
(b) The employer shall compensate any of the employer's employees who appear at a judicial proceeding under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 for loss of wages if the employee appears at the proceeding as the result of a request of the employer or as the result of a subpoena issued at the employer's request.
(c) An employee who appears at a board hearing under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 as the result of a request of the state or the OSHA Review Board or as the result of a subpoena issued at the request of the state or the OSHA Review Board shall be compensated at the rate of $30 a day and transportation costs.
(a) A person may not discharge or discriminate against an employee because the employee has filed a complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted a proceeding related to the enforcement of occupational safety and health standards, or has testified or is expected to testify in a proceeding relating to occupational safety and health or because an employee has exercised personally or on behalf of others a right afforded under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105.
(b) An employee who has been discharged or discriminated against by a person in violation of this section may, within 30 days after the violation occurs, file a complaint with the commissioner alleging the discrimination. Upon receipt of the complaint, the commissioner shall investigate the matter as the commissioner considers appropriate. If, upon investigation, the commissioner determines that this section has been violated, the commissioner shall request the attorney general to bring an action in the superior court against the violator. The superior court has jurisdiction to restrain violations of (a) of this section and to order all appropriate relief, including rehiring or reinstatement of the employee to the employee's former position with back pay.
(c) Within 90 days of the receipt of a complaint filed under this section, the commissioner shall notify the complainant of the determination under (b) of this section.
(a) A person affected by an order of the OSHA Review Board under AS 18.60.093(c) or (e) or of the commissioner under AS 18.60.096 may obtain a review of the order by filing a notice of appeal in the superior court as provided in the Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure.
(b) The department may obtain review of an order of the OSHA Review Board under AS 18.60.093 (c) or (e) by filing a notice of appeal in the superior court as provided in the Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure.
(c) An order of the OSHA Review Board under AS 18.60.093 (c) or (e) or of the commissioner under AS 18.60.096 becomes final and is not subject to review by any court if a notice of appeal is not filed with the superior court within the period provided for by the Alaska Rules of Appellate Procedure.
(d) An employer seeking judicial review of an order of the OSHA Review Board or of the commissioner must inform the affected employees of the fact that the employer is seeking judicial review.
(e) The court shall review an order of the OSHA Review Board or of the commissioner on a substantial-evidence basis.
(a) There is established in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development the Alaska Safety Advisory Council.
(b) The council consists of 13 members appointed by the governor as follows:
(1) five members representing industry selected on the basis of geographic representation and population distribution;
(2) four members representing labor selected on the basis of geographic representation and population distribution;
(3) one member representing the federal government;
(4) one member representing the state government;
(5) one member representing local government; and
(6) one member of the public.
(c) A member of the council serves for a term of two years and until a successor is appointed and qualified. An appointment to a vacancy is for the unexpired term. A person may be reappointed by the governor for additional terms. A member of the council serves at the pleasure of the governor.
(d) A member of the council serves without compensation but is entitled to travel and per diem expenses as provided in AS 39.20.180 .
(e) The council shall elect a chairperson and a secretary from among its members, each to serve for a term not to exceed two years. The commissioner of labor and workforce development or the designee of the commissioner of labor and workforce development shall serve as the executive secretary of the council.
(1) 'department' means the Department of Health and Social Services;
(2) 'electronic product' means a manufactured product that
(A) when in operation contains or acts as part of an electronic circuit and emits, or in the absence of effective shielding or other controls would emit, electronic product radiation; or
(B) is intended for use as a component, part, or accessory of a product described in (A) of this paragraph and that when in operation emits, or in the absence of effective shielding or other controls would emit, electronic product radiation;
(3) 'electronic product radiation' means any ionizing or non-ionizing, electromagnetic or particulate radiation, or a sonic, infrasonic, or ultrasonic wave that is emitted from an electronic product as the result of the operation of an electronic circuit in the product;
(4) 'radiation sources' means both electronic product and nuclear radiation sources;
(5) 'radionuclide' means any atom that may spontaneously emit particles or gamma radiation or may emit X-radiation following orbital electron capture or may undergo spontaneous fission;
(6) 'state agency' or 'agency of the state'
(A) means a state department or agency, whether in the legislative, judicial, or executive branch;
(B) does not include the University of Alaska, a municipality, or an agency of a municipality.
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall
(1) have all violators of AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.390 prosecuted;
(2) issue, suspend, or revoke for cause, inspection certificates provided for in AS 18.60.390 ;
(3) take action necessary for the enforcement of the laws and regulations governing the use of boilers and unfired pressure vessels;
(4) keep a complete record of the type, dimensions, maximum allowable working pressure, age, condition, location, and date of the last recorded internal inspection of boilers and unfired pressure vessels to which AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.390 apply;
(5) adopt regulations establishing reasonable fees for administering special inspector examinations and for processing applications for special inspector commissions; and
(6) do acts necessary to carry out the purposes of AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.390.
(a) If, upon inspection or investigation, the department believes that an employer has violated a provision of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 that is applicable to the employer, the department shall with reasonable promptness issue a citation to the employer. Each citation shall be in writing and must describe with particularity the nature of the violation, including reference to the provisions of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 or any order or regulation alleged to have been violated, and must fix a reasonable time for abatement of the violation. The department may prescribe procedures for the issuance of a notice instead of a citation with respect to minor violations that have no direct or immediate relationship to safety or health, or violations that are not serious and that the employer agrees to correct within a reasonable time. If an employer does not, within a reasonable time set out in the notice, correct a violation that is not serious, the department shall issue a citation to the employer.
(b) Upon receipt by the employer, each citation issued under this section, or a copy of the citation, shall be immediately and prominently posted, at or near each place the violation referred to in the citation occurred.
(c) A citation may not be issued for a particular violation under this section after the expiration of 180 days following the discovery of the violation by the department or correction of a violation.
(a) An employee or a representative of employees who believes that a violation of a safety or health standard exists that threatens physical harm or that an imminent danger exists may request an inspection by giving notice of the violation or danger to the department. The notice must be in writing and set out with reasonable particularity the grounds for the notice and be signed by the employee or the representative of the employees. If, upon receipt of the notice, the department determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a violation or danger exists, the department shall make a special inspection as soon as practicable. If the department determines there are no reasonable grounds to believe that a violation exists, the department shall notify in writing the employee or the representative of the employees of that determination.
(b) If the department makes a special inspection, or an inspection under AS 18.60.083 , a copy of an employee notice shall be provided the employer no later than at the time of the inspection. Unless expressly consented to by the person giving the notice, the person's name and the name of employees referred to in the notice shall be kept confidential and may not appear in the copy provided the employer or in any record available to the employer.
(c) The department shall furnish the notifying person a written explanation of why a citation was not issued after a special inspection.
(d) The department shall, by regulation, establish a review procedure for a failure to issue a citation after a special inspection and shall provide the employees requesting a review a written statement of the final disposition of the case.
(a) In the event of an employment accident that is fatal to one or more employees or that results in the in-patient hospitalization of one or more employees, the employer shall report the accident orally by telephone or in person to the nearest office of the division of labor standards and safety or by telephone to the federal toll-free number provided by the division. The report must relate the name of the establishment, the location of the accident, the time of the accident, a contact person and the telephone number of the contact person, a brief description of the accident, the number of fatalities or hospitalized employees, and the extent of any injuries. The report must be made immediately but in no event later than eight hours after receipt by the employer of information that the accident has occurred. However, if the employer first receives information of a fatality or in-patient hospitalization of one or more employees eight or more hours after the accident but within 30 days after the accident, the employer must make the report within eight hours after receiving information of the fatality or in-patient hospitalization. This subsection does not apply to an employer that first receives information of a fatality or in-patient hospitalization more than 30 days after the accident.
(b) In the event of an employment accident that is fatal to one or more employees or that results in in-patient hospitalization of two or more employees, equipment, material, or product related to the injury or fatality may not be moved or altered until clearance is given by the department, except when compliance with this requirement would interfere for an unreasonable length of time with work or create additional hazards. If equipment, material, or products must be moved or altered before department clearance, the employer shall submit a detailed investigative report of the accident to the division.
(a) The Department of Labor and Workforce Development may, after investigation, suspend or revoke a commission for (1) incompetence, (2) conviction of the crime of bribery under AS 11.56.100 , receiving a bribe under AS 11.56.110 , or perjury under AS 11.56.200 , in connection with work as a special or deputy inspector, or (3) intentional falsification of any material matter or statement in the application or in an inspection report or in an administrative or judicial proceeding relating to the enforcement of AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.395. A person whose commission has been suspended or revoked may apply to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for reinstatement. The department may refuse to reinstate a commission for a person whose license was suspended or revoked.
(b) A person whose commission has been suspended or revoked, or whose application for reinstatement has been denied, may appeal the suspension, revocation, or denial as provided in AS 18.60.370 and is entitled to be present and represented by counsel at the hearing.
(a) There is created the Occupational Safety and Health Review Board within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, referred to in this chapter as the OSHA Review Board. The board shall consist of three members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature in joint session. One member of the board shall represent labor, one member shall represent industry, and the other shall represent the public. Each appointee must have adequate experience in the area of appointment. A member of the board may not be an employee of the state in another capacity nor may a member of the OSHA Review Board be a member or officer of another board or commission for which compensation other than per diem and travel expenses is paid.
(b) The members of the board serve staggered terms of four years. A vacancy caused by the death, resignation, or removal of a member before the expiration of the term for which the member was appointed shall be filled only for the remainder of the unexpired term. A member of the board may be removed by the governor for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.
(c) The governor shall designate one member of the board as chairman. This member shall serve as chairman for a term of one year, but may be appointed for successive terms.
(d) Members of the board are entitled to compensation in the amount of $50 a day for each day or portion of each day spent in actual meeting or on authorized official business incident to their duties and, in addition, they are entitled to all other transportation and per diem as provided by law for members of other state boards and commissions.
(e) The board may employ persons, subject to legislative appropriation, it considers necessary for the purpose of performing its duties under this chapter.
(a) The code applies to all new construction, all new work in relocated buildings, and to any alteration, repairs, or reconstruction of buildings except as provided otherwise under AS 18.60.705 - 18.60.740.
(b) The department may inspect work installed, removed, altered, or replaced on any plumbing, gas or drainage piping, plumbing fixture, water heater, or water treating equipment in a building or other location. A permit or inspection is not required for the following work: the stopping of leaks in drains, soil, waste, or vent pipes, the clearing of stoppages in or repairing of leaks in pipe valves or fixtures, and repairs or alterations not of a substantive nature that can be reasonably exempted from inspection.
(c) Nothing in AS 18.60.705 - 18.60.740 prohibits a person from performing plumbing work on the person's own property.
(d) The department may adopt regulations establishing fees for inspections conducted under AS 18.60.705 - 18.60.740. Fees may be established under this section only for inspections requested by the owner of a structure.
(e) The department shall maintain a record of all plumbing inspections performed by it and of all inspection fees and permit fees collected by it.
(a) A transfer to the Alaska Wing, Civil Air Patrol, of a forfeited aircraft under AS 16.05.195 (f), AS 17.30.122 , or another state law or regulation is subject to the following conditions:
(1) the transfer shall be made without cost to the Civil Air Patrol;
(2) the aircraft becomes a corporate Civil Air Patrol aircraft;
(3) the aircraft may only be used for Civil Air Patrol search and rescue, civil defense, and training purposes;
(4) the aircraft may not be transferred to another wing of the Civil Air Patrol unless
(A) the aircraft has been corporate aircraft of the Alaska Wing, Civil Air Patrol for at least 36 months after the date of transfer to the Alaska Wing; or
(B) the aircraft is being exchanged for another Civil Air Patrol corporate aircraft of equivalent or greater value;
(5) if the Civil Air Patrol determines that the aircraft should be disposed of as surplus property, the disposition shall first be approved by the Department of Administration.
(b) A transfer of a forfeited aircraft under this section shall be consummated by a contract between the State of Alaska and the Alaska Wing, Civil Air Patrol that includes the conditions set out in (a) of this section. The contract must also provide that the Civil Air Patrol indemnify the state for any amount for which the state may be liable for an act or omission relating to the aircraft.
(a) An employer who is affected by AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 may apply to the commissioner for a variance from a provision of the safety and health standards adopted by the department. Employees who are affected by an application for variance shall be given notice of the application for variance and an opportunity to participate in the hearing. The commissioner shall issue the variance if the commissioner determines on the basis of the hearing record, after opportunity for an inspection where appropriate, that the proponent of the variance has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that the conditions, practices, means, methods, operations, or processes used or proposed to be used by an employer will provide employment and places of employment to employees that are as safe and as healthful as those that would prevail if the employer complied with the provisions of the safety and health standards adopted by the department. The variance shall prescribe the conditions the employer must maintain and the practices, means, methods, operations, and processes that the employer must adopt and utilize to the extent they differ from the standard in question. The variance may be modified or revoked upon application by an employer, by employees, or by motion of the commissioner, in the manner prescribed for its issuance under this subsection at any time after six months from its issuance.
(b) When the commissioner grants a variance, the commissioner shall include in this grant a statement of the reasons for the action, and the statement shall be published in a newspaper of statewide circulation and in a newspaper of local circulation in the area where the variance will be implemented. A copy of the statement shall be sent to the OSHA Review Board.
(a) The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall adopt regulations for the licensing of boiler operators. The regulations must conform to the generally accepted nationwide standards and practices established for boiler operators. In addition to any requirements adopted by regulation under this subsection, a person applying for a license shall provide to the department, on the application, the person's social security number.
(b) Operators' licenses shall be provided in the following categories:
(1) fireman - apprentice,
(2) third class - boiler capacity not to exceed 3,500 pounds of steam an hour or 3,500,000 British thermal units per hour for high temperature or high pressure water boilers,
(3) second class - boiler capacity not to exceed 100,000 pounds of steam an hour or 100,000,000 British thermal units per hour for high temperature or high pressure water boilers,
(4) first class - unlimited.
(c) This section does not require a person to be licensed in order to be a boiler operator.
(d) Upon request, the department shall provide a social security number provided under (a) of this section to the child support services agency created in AS 25.27.010 , or the child support enforcement agency of another state, for child support purposes authorized under law.
(e) A person shall pay a nonrefundable application fee of $200 when applying for a license as a boiler operator. Fees collected under this section shall be deposited in the building safety account created under AS 44.31.025 .
Article 04. REFRIGERATORS AND SIMILAR EQUIPMENT
(a) Each boiler and unfired pressure vessel used or proposed to be used in the state except boilers or unfired pressure vessels exempt under AS 18.60.210 shall be inspected as to construction, installation, condition, and operation, as follows:
(1) power boilers and high pressure or high temperature water boilers shall be given a certificate inspection annually; the inspector may conduct an external inspection while the boiler is under pressure or an internal inspection if warranted;
(2) low pressure steam or vapor heating boilers shall be given a certificate inspection biennially with an internal inspection every four years if its construction permits an internal inspection;
(3) hot water heating, hot water supply, and coil heating boilers shall be given a certificate inspection biennially with an internal inspection at the discretion of the inspector;
(4) each unfired pressure vessel shall be inspected internally and externally at intervals set by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development; an internal inspection of an unfired pressure vessel is not required if its contents are known to be noncorrosive to the material of which the shell, head, or fittings are constructed, either from the chemical composition of the contents or from evidence that the contents are adequately treated with a corrosion inhibitor, and if the vessel is constructed in accordance with
(A) regulations of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, if any, in effect at the time of manufacture;
(B) standards set out in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code in effect at the time of manufacture until September 6, 1981; or
(C) if the department adopts subsequent revisions of that code, the standards set out in those revisions as adopted by the department and in effect at the time of manufacture.
(b) A grace period of two months beyond periods specified in (a)(1) - (4) of this section may elapse between certificate inspections.
(a) AS 18.60.475 - 18.60.485 do not limit the intentional exposure of patients to radiation for the purpose of diagnosis or therapy, or medical research, when conducted as authorized by law and in accordance with accepted radiation safety principles.
(b) AS 18.60.475 (a)(5) and (6) do not apply to the private use of radiation sources in the home.
(c) AS 18.60.475 - 18.60.545 do not apply to the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs in carrying out the provisions of AS 26 that pertain to planning for and responding to radiation that results from the detonation of nuclear weapons.
(d) AS 18.60.475 - 18.60.545 do not apply to Federal Communications Commission licensed facilities emitting radiation of a wavelength longer than one centimeter, and an average power output not exceeding two kilowatts.
(e) AS 18.60.475 - 18.60.545 do not authorize the department to register, inspect, test, or otherwise regulate dental radiological equipment or records relating to dental radiological equipment regulated by the Board of Dental Examiners under AS 08.36.075 .
(a) If the department by regulation requires permits for plumbing work, fees may not exceed the following:
(1) for issuing each permit ................................. $2.00;
(2) a permit for each
(A) plumbing fixture or trap or set of fixtures on one trap,
including water, drainage piping and backflow protection ........ 1.50;
(B) building sewer or trailer park sewer .................... 5.00;
(C) drain in rainwater system ............................... 2.00;
(D) cesspool ................................................ 5.00;
(E) private sewage disposal system ......................... 10.00;
(F) water heater and/or vent ................................ 1.50;
(G) gas piping system of one to five outlets ................ 1.50;
(H) gas piping system of six or more outlets, per outlet ..... .30;
(I) industrial waste pretreatment interceptor, including its trap
and vent, but excluding kitchen type grease interceptors functioning as
fixture traps ................................................ 1.00;
(J) installation, alteration, or repair of water piping or water
treating equipment .............................................. 1.50;
(K) repair or alteration of drainage or vent piping ......... 1.50;
(L) lawn sprinkler system or any one meter which includes backflow
protection devices .............................................. 2.00;
(3) for vacuum breakers or backflow protective devices on tanks,
vats, or for installation on unprotected plumbing fixtures including
necessary water piping
(A) one to five ............................................. 2.00;
(B) over five, each .......................................... .30.
(b) The department shall keep a record of all fees collected and all
inspections performed.
(a) Unless the Department of Labor and Workforce Development establishes by regulation a different edition, the most current edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers constitutes the minimum elevator safety code in the state. Section 1001.1, Inspection and Test Periods, of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators is not adopted as a part of the minimum elevator safety code in the state.
(b) The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall
(1) adopt or change regulations to carry out the provisions of AS 18.60.800 - 18.60.820;
(2) inspect and certify elevators to meet the safety requirements, but need not inspect or certify elevators in a municipality that has adopted or prescribed elevator safety standards under (d) of this section if the commissioner determines that inspection and certification by the municipality adequately protect the public;
(3) establish, by regulation, fees for inspections performed under AS 18.60.800 - 18.60.820; and
(4) maintain a record of all inspections performed and of all inspection fees collected.
(c) Inspections of elevators by the department shall be performed in accordance with the procedures set out in the most recent edition of the National Standard Practice for the Inspection of Elevators and Escalators published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
(d) A municipality may adopt the standards established by this section or prescribe standards more stringent than those established by this section.
(e) [Renumbered as AS 18.60.825 ].
(f) Inspection fees collected under (b) of this section shall be deposited into the building safety account created under AS 44.31.025 .
(1) 'bloodborne pathogens' means pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can cause disease in humans, including hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus;
(2) 'department' means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
(3) 'employer'
(A) means an employer having an employee with occupational exposure to human blood or other material potentially containing bloodborne pathogens; but
(B) does not include an employer who has fewer than 25 full-time-equivalent employees;
(4) 'engineered sharps injury protections' means a physical attribute built into
(A) a needle device used for withdrawing body fluids, accessing a vein or artery, or administering medications or other fluids that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident by a mechanism such as barrier creation, blunting, encapsulation, withdrawal, retraction, destruction, or other effective mechanisms; or
(B) another type of needle device, or a nonneedle sharp, that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident;
(5) 'engineering controls' means controls, including needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections, that isolate or remove the bloodborne pathogens hazard from the workplace;
(6) 'front-line health care worker' means a nonmanagerial employee responsible for direct patient care with potential occupational exposure to sharps-related injuries;
(7) 'needleless system' means a device that does not use needles for
(A) the withdrawal of body fluids after initial venous or arterial access is established;
(B) the administration of medication or fluids; or
(C) another procedure involving the potential for an exposure incident;
(8) 'sharp' means an object used or encountered in a health care setting that can be reasonably anticipated to penetrate the skin or any other part of the body and to result in an exposure incident, including needle devices, scalpels, lancets, broken glass, and broken capillary tubes;
(9) 'sharps injury' means cuts, abrasions, needlesticks, or other injuries caused by a sharp;
(10) 'sharps injury log' means a written or electronic record satisfying the requirements of AS 18.60.880 (c);
(11) 'work practice controls' are controls that reduce the likelihood of exposure by altering the manner in which a task is performed.
(a) An employer who is affected by AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 may apply to the commissioner for a temporary variance from a provision of the safety and health standards adopted by the department. A temporary variance shall be issued only if the employer files an application fulfilling the requirements of (b) of this section and the employer establishes that the employer
(1) is unable to comply with a standard by its effective date because of unavailability of the professional or technical personnel or of the materials and equipment needed to come into compliance or because necessary construction or alteration of facilities cannot be completed by the effective date;
(2) is taking all available steps to safeguard employees against the hazards covered by the standard;
(3) has an effective program for coming into compliance with the standards as quickly as practicable.
(b) An application for a temporary variance must contain
(1) a specification of the standard from which the employer seeks a temporary variance;
(2) a representation by the employer, supported by representations from qualified persons having firsthand knowledge of the facts represented, that the employer is unable to comply and a detailed statement of the reasons for this inability;
(3) a statement of the steps the employer has taken and will take, including specific dates, to protect employees against the hazard covered by the standard;
(4) a statement of when the employer expects to be able to comply with the standard and what steps the employer has taken and what steps the employer will take, including specific dates, to come into compliance;
(5) a certification that the employer has informed employees of the application for temporary variance and of their right to request a hearing by giving a copy of the application and a written statement of the right to a hearing to the employees' authorized representative, by posting a statement giving a summary of the application and stating the employees' right to a hearing and specifying where a copy of the application and notice of right to a hearing may be examined at the place or places where notices to employees are normally posted, and by other appropriate means.
(c) A temporary variance issued under this section must prescribe the practices, means, methods, operations, and processes that the employer shall adopt and use while the variance is in effect and state in detail the employer's program for coming into compliance with the standard. A temporary variance may be granted only after notice to affected employees and an opportunity for hearing. However, the commissioner may issue one interim order to be effective until a decision is made on the basis of a hearing. A temporary variance may not be in effect for longer than the period needed by the employer to achieve compliance with the standard or one year, whichever is shorter, except that a temporary variance may be renewed no more than twice if the requirements of (a) and (b) of this section are met and the application for renewal is filed at least 90 days before the expiration date of the variance. An interim renewal of an order may not remain in effect for longer than 180 days.
(a) Except as provided otherwise in this section, and unless the department adopts by regulation a later edition of the following publications or a later version of another nationally recognized code approved by the legislature by law, the following publications are adopted as the minimum plumbing code for the state:
(1) paragraphs 101.3 - 101.5.6, 103.5.1.1 - 103.5.1.4, 103.5.3.5, 103.5.4.2, 103.5.5.1 - 103.5.5.2, 103.5.6.1 - 103.5.6.3, and 103.8 - 103.8.2 of chapter 1, chapters 2 - 14, and the appendices A through L of the 1997 edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and adopted at the 67th annual conference, September 1996, excluding Table 4.1, 'Minimum Plumbing Facilities'; and adding Appendix Chapter 29, Table A - 29 - A, 'Minimum Plumbing Fixtures,' of the 1997 edition of the Uniform Building Code published in April 1997 by the International Council of Building Officials, except that for the category identified in Table A - 29 - A as 'Assembly places-Auditoriums, convention halls, dance floors, lodge rooms, stadiums and casinos,' when the category is applied to auditoriums, convention halls, stadiums, and casinos, the ratios
(A) indicating the number of water closets required for females are changed to provide the following:
(i) four water closets for 1 - 50 females;
(ii) six water closets for 51 - 100 females;
(iii) 10 water closets for 101 - 200 females;
(iv) 14 water closets for 201 - 400 females; and
(v) one additional water closet for each 100 females over 400 females; and
(B) indicating the number of lavatories required for females and males are changed to
(i) one lavatory for each water closet up to four water closets; and
(ii) one additional lavatory for each two additional water closets beyond four water closets;
(2) the 1997 edition of the Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and adopted at the 67th annual conference, September 1996, excluding pages 1 - 8 of Part I, Administration; and
(3) the 1997 edition of the Uniform Solar Energy Code published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and adopted at the 67th annual conference, September 1996, excluding pages 1 - 7 of Part I, Administration.
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, the use of a pipe or pipe fitting containing more than 8.0 percent lead, or of solder or flux containing more than 0.2 percent lead in the installation or repair of a public water system or in the installation or repair of plumbing of a residential or nonresidential facility that provides water for human consumption is prohibited. This subsection does not apply to the use of leaded joints necessary to repair cast iron pipe.
(c) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, a single-wall heat exchanger may be used if
(1) the heat transfer medium is water type or propylene type glycol;
(2) the pressure of the heat transfer medium is limited to a maximum of 30 pounds per square inch by an approved safety relief valve; and
(3) the heat exchanger is prominently and permanently labeled with instructions concerning (1) and (2) of this subsection.
The Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall
(1) study ways and means for prevention of accidents to persons on the streets and highways, in and on the water, in aircraft usage, in homes, on the farms, at schools, in industrial and commercial plants, and in public places;
(2) plan and execute safety programs, including educational campaigns, designed to reduce accidents in every field of activity;
(3) work in cooperation with official and unofficial organizations and instrumentalities in the state that are interested in the promotion of safety so that possible resources can be marshalled and utilized to reduce the menace of accidental death and injury;
(4) work toward obtaining better observance and enforcement of laws governing street and highway traffic, and assist in bringing about, wherever feasible, the application of modern engineering measures for the prevention of traffic accidents;
(5) confer with the public agencies responsible for safeguarding the people against accidents, and especially with the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Education and Early Development, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Health and Social Services, and the heads or representatives of federal departments and agencies operating in the state particularly concerned with safety programs and accident prevention;
(6) establish and enforce occupational safety and health standards that prescribe requirements for safe and healthful working conditions for all employment, including state and local government employment, and the requirements are to be at least as effective as those requirements adopted by the United States Secretary of Labor under 29 U.S.C. 655 (Sec. 6 of P.L. 91-596);
(7) require an employer to maintain records and submit reports to the department which records and reports are necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 and to maintain records and submit reports to the United States Secretary of Labor in the same manner and to the same extent as set out in federal law and regulations;
(8) require an employer to maintain records and submit reports appropriate for use in developing information regarding the causes and prevention of occupational accidents and illnesses;
(9) require an employer to make periodic inspections when necessary to carry out the record and reporting requirements of (7) and (8) of this section;
(10) participate in occupational safety and health programs if it finds they are necessary to meet the occupational health and safety needs of the state;
(11) execute on behalf of the state agreements or contracts necessary or desirable to enable the state to participate in occupational safety and health programs, and to receive and expend funds made available for programs of the state;
(12) annually publish a list of toxic and hazardous substances and physical agents;
(13) maintain a current set of OSHA form 20's or equivalent information for toxic and hazardous substances and for physical agents, and other information relevant to toxic and hazardous substances and physical agents;
(14) assist employers, upon request, to develop employee safety education programs and to identify and obtain information on toxic and hazardous substances and physical agents.
(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, in AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105,
(1) 'be exposed' means to ingest, inhale, or absorb through the skin or eyes a substance or physical agent, or fumes or other potentially harmful aspect of a substance or physical agent;
(2) 'commissioner' means the commissioner of labor and workforce development;
(3) 'department' means the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
(4) 'employee' means a person who works for an employer;
(5) 'employer' means a person, including the state and political subdivisions of the state, who has one or more employees;
(6) 'OSHA' means the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration;
(7) 'physical agent' means a physical agent that exceeds the threshold established in the 1986-1987 edition of 'Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents in the Work Environment' published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists;
(8) 'suitable protective equipment' includes such personal protective equipment as is required by regulation issued under this chapter;
(9) 'toxic or hazardous substance'
(A) includes
(i) a chemical listed in 29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances, 'General Industry Standards', Occupational Safety and Health Administration;
(ii) a chemical listed in 'Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents in the Work Environment', American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (Latest Edition);
(iii) a substance for which an OSHA form 20 or equivalent information is required under OSHA regulations; and
(iv) a substance determined by the department, in accordance with AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), to be a health hazard to an employee who is exposed to the substance, including a carcinogen, reproductive toxin, irritant, corrosive, sensitizer, hepatotoxin, nephrotoxin, neurotoxin, agent that acts on the hematopoietic system, agent that damages the lungs, a cutaneous hazard, and an eye hazard;
(B) does not include
(i) substances that because of their physical state, volume, or concentration do not pose a health hazard upon exposure;
(ii) substances that are goods, food, drugs, cosmetics, or tobacco products intended for personal consumption; or
(iii) substances in transit;
(10) 'transit' means conveyed in a sealed or unopened container by a mode of transportation.
(b) In AS 18.60.030 (14), 18.60.065 - 18.60.068, and (a)(9) of this section,
(1) 'employee' means a person who works for an employer, but not in a place used primarily as a personal residence;
(2) 'employer' means a person, including the state and a political subdivision of the state, who has one or more employees working in a place not used primarily as a personal residence;
(3) 'health hazard' means a substance or physical agent capable of causing acute or chronic adverse effects to health;
(4) 'workplace' means a place of employment other than a place used primarily as a personal residence.
Article 02. SEARCH AND RESCUE
(a) If, after an inspection or investigation, or after an employer's failure to correct a violation for which the employer has been issued a notice, the department issues a citation, the commissioner shall, at a reasonable time after the termination of the inspection or investigation, or expiration of the time period set out in the notice, notify the employer by certified mail of the penalty proposed to be assessed and that the employer has 15 working days within which to notify the commissioner and the OSHA Review Board that the employer wishes to contest the citation or proposed assessment of penalty. If, within 15 working days after receipt of the penalty notice issued by the commissioner, the employer fails to notify the OSHA Review Board that the employer intends to contest the citation or proposed assessment of penalty, the citation and the assessment, as proposed, are considered final and not subject to review by any court.
(b) If the commissioner has reason to believe that an employer has failed to correct, within the period allowed, a violation for which a citation has been issued, the commissioner shall notify the employer by certified mail of the failure, of the penalty proposed to be assessed because of the failure, and that the employer has 15 working days within which to notify the commissioner and the OSHA Review Board of a wish to contest the commissioner's notification of the proposed assessment of penalty. If, within 15 working days from the receipt of the notification issued by the commissioner, the employer fails to give notice of an intention to contest the notification or proposed assessment of penalty, the notification and assessment as proposed shall be considered a final order and not subject to review by any court.
(c) If an employer gives notice of an intention to contest the citation or notification issued under (a) or (b) of this section, the OSHA Review Board shall afford an opportunity for a hearing and thereafter issue an order, based on findings of fact, affirming, modifying, or vacating the original citation or proposed penalty, or directing other appropriate relief, and the order is final 30 days after its issuance.
(d) The OSHA Review Board shall notify the authorized representative of the affected employees that an employer is contesting a citation or notification issued under (a) or (b) of this section and afford the representative an opportunity to participate in the hearing on the matter.
(e) An employer, an affected employee, or a representative of affected employees has 15 working days from the receipt of a citation within which to notify the commissioner and the OSHA Review Board that the period of time fixed in the citation for the abatement of a violation is unreasonable. The OSHA Review Board shall afford an opportunity for a hearing and thereafter issue an order, based on findings of fact, affirming or modifying the original period for abatement, and the order is final 30 days after its issuance. If the contest is initiated by the employer, the OSHA Review Board shall notify the employees in the same manner as provided by (d) of this section. If the contest is initiated by the employees, the OSHA Review Board shall notify the employer and afford the employer an opportunity to participate in the hearing on the matter.
(f) If an employer fails without good cause to appear at a hearing held under this section after receiving proper notice of the hearing, the OSHA Review Board may order the employer to pay all reasonable expenses incurred by the board for the hearing, including the board's actual travel expenses and per diem.
(g) The board shall request the chief administrative law judge (AS 44.64.020) to appoint an administrative law judge employed or retained by the office of administrative hearings to preside at a hearing conducted under this section. AS 44.64.060 and 44.64.070 do not apply to the hearing. The administrative law judge who presided at the hearing shall be present during the consideration of the case and, if requested by the board, shall assist and advise the board. A member of the board who has not heard all of the evidence may not vote on the decision.
(a) AS 18.60.180 - 18.60.390 do not apply to the following:
(1) boilers and unfired pressure vessels under federal regulation;
(2) unfired pressure vessels meeting the requirements of the federal Department of Transportation for shipment of liquids or gases under pressure;
(3) air tanks located on vehicles operating under the regulations of another state authority and used for carrying passengers or freight;
(4) air tanks installed on the right-of-way of railroads and used directly in the operation of trains;
(5) unfired pressure vessels having a volume of five cubic feet or less or vessels having an inside diameter not exceeding six inches;
(6) unfired pressure vessels designed for a pressure not exceeding 15 pounds per square inch when not located in a place of public assembly;
(7) manually fired miniature boilers for model locomotive, boat, tractor, or stationary engines constructed or maintained as a hobby for exhibition use, having a volume less than five cubic feet and grate area less than two square feet and equipped with an American Society of Mechanical Engineers coded safety valve of adequate capacity and size, a water level indicator, and pressure gauge;
(8) except as provided in (c) of this section, antique manually fired boilers of locomotive, boat, tractor, or stationary engines constructed or maintained as a hobby and equipped with an American Society of Mechanical Engineers coded safety valve of adequate capacity and size;
(9) automatic utility hot water heaters that are used for space heating using the potable system, if the hot water heater
(A) is equipped with a safety relief valve and operational controls required by the latest Boiler Construction Code published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers that has been adopted by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development under AS 18.60.180 ;
(B) contains only water;
(C) does not exceed 120 gallons in capacity, a water temperature of 210 degrees Fahrenheit, a pressure of 150 pounds of square inch gauge pressure, or a heat input of more than 200,000 BTU an hour; and
(D) contains a tempering valve that will regulate the outlet domestic water temperature at not more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
(b) The following boilers and unfired pressure vessels are exempt from the requirements of AS 18.60.320 - 18.60.360:
(1) boilers and unfired pressure vessels located on farms and used solely for agricultural purposes;
(2) steam and hot water heating boilers, used exclusively for heating purposes, that are located in private residences or in apartment houses of fewer than six families;
(3) unfired pressure vessels containing only cold water under pressure for domestic supply purposes, including those containing air, the compression of which serves only as a cushion or airlift pumping system;
(4) unfired pressure vessels containing liquified petroleum gas;
(5) unfired pressure vessels operating entirely full of water, and hot water supply boilers or domestic water heaters, if none of the following limitations is exceeded:
(A) a heat input of 200,000 British thermal units per hour (57,143 watts);
(B) a water temperature of 210 degrees Fahrenheit (99 degrees centigrade);
(C) a maximum water-containing capacity of 120 gallons (454.2 liters);
(6) coil type boilers unless the water-containing capacity is six gallons (22.8 liters) or greater, the water temperature exceeds 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176.5 degrees centigrade), steam is generated in the coil, or the diameter of the tubing is greater than three-quarters of an inch (18.75 millimeters).
(c) Notwithstanding (a)(8) of this section, an antique manually fired boiler may not be used for exhibition purposes without a special operating permit issued by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
(1) 'bathtub enclosure' means a sliding, pivoting, or hinged door and fixed panels that are glazed or to be glazed and used to form a barrier between the bathtub and the rest of the bathroom area or other room in which bathing facilities are located;
(2) 'commercial buildings' means buildings including but not limited to wholesale and retail stores and storerooms, and office buildings;
(3) 'commercial entrance and exit door' means a hinged, pivoting, revolving, or sliding door that is glazed or to be glazed and used alone or in combination with other doors, other than sliding glass door units, on interior or exterior walls of a commercial, public, or industrial building as a means of passage, ingress, or egress;
(4) 'fixed flat glazed panels immediately adjacent to entrance or exit doors' means the first fixed flat glazed panel on either or both sides of interior or exterior doors, 48 inches or less in width, the nearest vertical edge of which is located within six feet horizontally of the nearest vertical edge of the door;
(5) 'glazed' means the accomplished act of glazing;
(6) 'glazing' means the act of installing and securing glass or other glazing material into prepared openings in structural elements including but not limited to doors, enclosures, and panels;
(7) 'hazardous locations' means those structural elements, glazed or to be glazed, in residential buildings and other structures used as dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, and public buildings, known as interior and exterior commercial entrance and exit doors and the immediately adjacent flat fixed glazed panels, sliding glass door units including the fixed glazed panels that are part of these units, storm or combination doors, shower and bathtub enclosures, primary residential entrance and exit doors and the fixed or operable adjacent sidelights, whether or not the glazing in these doors, panels, and enclosures is transparent; however, peep-holes or viewing devices are not hazardous locations;
(8) 'industrial buildings' means buildings including but not limited to factories, manufacturing plants, or other auxiliary structures used in a manufacturing process;
(9) 'other structures used as dwellings' means buildings including but not limited to mobile homes, manufactured or industrialized housing, and lodging homes;
(10) 'primary residential entrance and exit door' means a door, other than a sliding glass door unit, that is glazed or to be glazed and used in an exterior wall of a residential building and other structures used as dwellings, as a means of passage, ingress, or egress;
(11) 'public buildings' means buildings including but not limited to hotels, hospitals, motels, dormitories, sanitariums, nursing homes, theatres, stadiums, gymnasiums, amusement park buildings, schools and other buildings used for educational purposes, museums, restaurants, bars, correctional institutions, places of worship, and other buildings of public accommodation or assembly;
(12) 'residential buildings' means structures including but not limited to homes and apartments used as dwellings for one or more families or persons;
(13) 'safety glazing material' means any glazing material including but not limited to tempered glass, laminated glass, wire glass, or rigid plastic, that meets the test requirements of the American National Standards Institute Standard (ANSI Standard) Z-97.1-1972, and that is so constructed, treated, or combined with other materials as to minimize the likelihood of cutting and piercing injuries resulting from human contact with the glazing material;
(14) 'shower enclosure' means a hinged, pivoting, or sliding door and fixed panels that are glazed or to be glazed and used to form a barrier between the shower stall and the rest of the bathroom area or other room in which bathing facilities are located;
(15) 'sliding glass door units' means an assembly of glazed or to be glazed panels contained in an overall frame, installed in residential buildings and other structures used as dwellings, commercial, industrial, or public buildings, and so designed that one or more of the panels is movable in a horizontal direction to produce or close off an opening for use as a means of passage, ingress, or egress;
(16) 'storm or combination door' means a door that is glazed or to be glazed, and used in tandem with a primary residential or commercial entrance and exit door to protect the primary residential or commercial entrance or exit door against weather elements and to improve indoor climate control.
Article 10. ELEVATORS
(a) An employer who wilfully or repeatedly violates a provision of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 that is applicable to the employer or a standard or regulation adopted under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 may be assessed by the commissioner a civil penalty of not more than $70,000 for each violation. Except when a settlement is negotiated, the commissioner shall assess a minimum penalty of $5,000 for a violation under this subsection that was committed wilfully.
(b) An employer who receives a citation for a serious violation of a provision of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 that is applicable to the employer or of a standard or regulation adopted under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 shall be assessed by the commissioner a civil penalty of up to $7,000 for each violation. For purposes of this subsection, a serious violation is considered to exist if the violation creates in the place of employment a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm. However, a serious violation is not considered to exist if the employer did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of the presence of the violation.
(c) An employer who receives a citation for a violation of a provision of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 that is applicable to the employer or a standard or regulation adopted under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105, and the violation is specifically determined not to be of a serious nature, may be assessed by the commissioner a civil penalty of up to $7,000 for each violation.
(d) An employer who fails to correct a violation within the period permitted for its correction for which a citation has been issued may be assessed by the commissioner a civil penalty of not more than $7,000 for each day during which the failure to correct the violation continues.
(e) An employer who wilfully or repeatedly violates a provision of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 that is applicable to the employer or a standard or regulation adopted under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105, and the violation causes death to an employee, upon conviction, is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both. However, upon a second conviction after a prior conviction for a violation causing death, an employer is punishable by a fine of not more than $20,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both. This subsection does not preclude prosecution of the employer under AS 11.
(f) A person who knowingly makes a false statement, representation, or certification with the intent to mislead in an application, record, report, plan or other document filed or required to be maintained under AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 is guilty of unsworn falsification.
(g) An employer who violates the posting requirements of AS 18.60.010 - 18.60.105 shall be assessed by the commissioner a civil penalty of up to $7,000 for each violation.
(h) In assessing a civil penalty, the commissioner shall give due consideration to the size of the business of the employer being charged, the gravity of the violation, the good faith of the employer, and the history of previous violations.
(a) An employer shall conduct product evaluations of needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections. The product evaluations shall include the categories of devices that are used in the employer's facilities. For each category of device, the product evaluations shall be performed by front-line health care workers representing all wards and medical specialties where the devices are used. The evaluation committee described in (g) of this section shall determine the amount of time necessary for the front-line health care workers to perform product evaluations under this subsection. The categories of devices to be evaluated under this subsection include
(1) IV catheters;
(2) IV access devices and IV connectors;
(3) vacuum-tube blood collection devices;
(4) blood-drawing devices including phlebotomy needle and tube holders, butterfly-type devices, and syringes and other similar devices;
(5) syringes used for purposes other than blood drawing;
(6) suture needles;
(7) scalpel devices; and
(8) any other category of device used at the employer's facilities where there is a sharps injury risk.
(b) The department shall, by regulation, adopt a standard concerning the use of needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections for devices listed in (a) of this section. The regulations must provide that
(1) needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections must be included as engineering and work practice controls; however, the needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections are not required if
(A) the devices are not available in the marketplace;
(B) the evaluation committee described in (g) of this section determines by means of objective product evaluation criteria that use of the devices may jeopardize patient safety if used for
(i) a class or type of procedure; or
(ii) a class or type of procedure when performed on a certain type of patient;
(C) a certified or licensed health care worker directly involved in the patient's care determines, in the reasonable exercise of clinical judgment, that use of the devices will jeopardize the patient's safety or the success of the particular medical procedure involving the patient; a health care worker who makes this determination shall file a report with the employer, in writing, including the date, time, patient, and procedure involved, and a statement of the reasons why the employee failed to use an approved needleless system or sharp with engineered sharps injury protections;
(D) the employer can demonstrate by means of objective product evaluation criteria that use of the devices is not more effective in preventing exposure incidents than the alternative used by the employer; or
(E) the employer can demonstrate, with respect to an engineering control that has not been available in the marketplace for at least 12 months, that reasonably specific and reliable information is not available regarding the safety performance of the engineering control for the employer's procedures, and that the employer is actively determining by means of objective product evaluation criteria whether the use of the engineering control will reduce the risk of exposure incidents occurring in the employer's workplace;
(2) a written exposure control plan include an effective procedure for identifying and selecting existing needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections; the procedure must provide that an evaluation committee described in (g) of this section has responsibility for identifying and selecting the devices;
(3) written exposure control plans shall be updated when necessary to reflect progress in implementing needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections as determined by the evaluation committee described in (g) of this section; updating must occur at least once every year;
(4) information concerning exposure incidents shall be recorded in a sharps injury log as required by (c) of this section.
(c) A sharps injury log must include at least
(1) the date and time of the exposure incident;
(2) the type and brand of sharp involved in the exposure incident; and
(3) the description of the exposure incident that must include
(A) the job classification of the exposed employee;
(B) the department or work area where the exposure incident occurred;
(C) the procedure that the exposed employee was performing at the time of the incident;
(D) how the incident occurred;
(E) the body part involved in the exposure incident;
(F) if the sharp had engineered sharps injury protections, whether the protective mechanism was activated, and whether the injury occurred before the protective mechanism was activated, during activation of the mechanism, or after activation of the mechanism;
(G) if the sharp had no engineered sharps injury protections, the injured employee's opinion as to whether and how such a mechanism could have prevented the injury, as well as the basis for the opinion; and
(H) whether an engineering, administrative, or work practice control could have prevented the injury, as well as the recorder's basis for the opinion.
(d) The department shall adopt regulations to implement AS 18.60.880 - 18.60.890 and to revise the bloodborne pathogen standard to prevent sharps injuries or exposure incidents. The regulations may include
(1) training and education requirements;
(2) measures to encourage the vaccination of health care workers against diseases transmitted by bloodborne pathogens;
(3) requirements for the strategic placement of sharps containers as close to the work area as practical; and
(4) requirements for the increased use of personal protective equipment.
(e) The department shall compile and maintain a list of sources of information on existing needleless systems and sharps with engineered sharps injury protections. The department shall make the list available to assist employers in complying with the requirements of the bloodborne pathogen standard adopted under this section.
(f) [Repealed, Sec. 2 ch 108, SLA 2000].
(g) An employer who employs 10 or more front-line health care workers shall establish an evaluation committee, at least half the members of which are front-line health care workers. An employer who employs fewer than 10 front-line health care workers shall establish an evaluation committee with at least one member who is a front-line health care worker. An employer who has established a committee before January 1, 2001, that satisfies the requirements of this subsection is not required to establish an additional committee under this subsection.
(h) Standards adopted under this section do not apply to an employer or supervised employee who primarily uses needles and other sharps for intraoral procedures.
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