When was the last time you reviewed and checked your Safety Bulletin Board? Are there notices or items that do NOT belong on the board?  Please note that only the following items should be posted on your Safety Bulletin Boards:

WAC 296-307-036

Items to go on the safety bulletin board.

• The employer must provide a bulletin board or posting area large enough to display the required safety and health poster, “Job Safety and Health Protection” (F416-081-000), and other safety education material.
• The bulletin board must be readily visible in a place where employees gather during some part of the work day. (For example, at the entrance of the staff break room, time clock area or employee locker room.)
• If for any reason any employee is unable to read the notices posted on the bulletin board, the employer must ensure that the message of the required poster explaining employee rights is communicated to the employee in terms he or she understands. This same requirement applies to variance applications, denials or grants, and to any other notice affecting the employee’s rights under WISHA.
• Posting must be in the employees’ language.

WAC 296-800-19005

Provide a safety bulletin board in your workplace.

You must install and maintain a safety bulletin board in every fixed workplace (establishment) that has eight or more employees. Make sure the safety bulletin board is large enough to post information such as the following:

• Safety bulletins.
• Safety newsletters.
• Safety posters.
• Accident statistics i.e. OSHA 300A form from February 1 through April 30^th
• Other safety educational material such as your safety meeting minutes and remember to keep your safety meeting minutes for 1 year.
• Post your emergency phone numbers

Please bear in mind that the above-noted safety items are not the only employment-related informational postings that employers are required to post for staff review.  Check with your employment law counsel for those requirements if you are unsure what you should be posting. There are firms who publish “all-in-one” posters, that contain all federal and state law informational mandates.  Typically, these companies post updates to their posters, annually.

That being said, it is important to note that when the DOSH compliance officer inspects your community, for WISHA compliance, they will be looking to ensure that your safety bulletin board posts just safety-related information.  Advertisements for the next community barbecue should not be posted on the Safety Bulletin Board. DOSH could write you up if you have non-safety related postings on the Safety Bulletin Board.

Print version

Questions? Please reach out to your assigned Claims Consultant or Scott DeHem, VP of Claims at Risk Finance, at scott@riskfinance.net