Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-06 - Public records › Section 296-06-040 - Operations and procedures

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
The general operations and procedures of the department's five
				divisions are summarized below. For more information, go to:
www.lni.wa.gov
.
(1)
Insurance services.
This division administers Washington's workers' compensation
				program -- Medical care and disability benefits for workers who are injured on
				the job. Every business with employees must provide this coverage. L&I
				administers the "state fund," which covers the majority of the state's workers.
				Through its self-insurance program, it also monitors coverage offered by large
				companies that choose to self-insure and manage their own claims.
This division includes all of the workers' compensation
				programs that:
Manage injured worker claims;
Bill employers for their required quarterly premiums;
Pay health care (and other) providers for their
				services.
The division also:
Sets workers' compensation rates;
Helps employers control their premiums through a variety of
				financial incentive, claims management, return-to-work and safety
				programs;
Administers the department's crime victims compensation
				program, which covers those who are injured as a result of criminal
				acts.
More information is available at
www.LNI.wa.gov/ClaimsIns
.
(2)
WISHA services.
This division administers the Washington Industrial Safety and
				Health Act (WISHA), under a state plan agreement with the federal Occupational
				Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It aids in the prevention of job
				injuries and illnesses by adopting and enforcing safety and health standards
				and by training employers and employees in safe working procedures.
Through the RCW, the legislature has directed L&I to
				administer and enforce three additional programs. These programs are also
				handled by WISHA:
Asbestos, including certifications and notifications of
				asbestos projects;
Explosives, regulating the possession, handling, and use of
				explosives or explosive devices;
Worker and community right to know, which provides a way of
				communicating information regarding hazardous substances in the workplace and
				the community.
Employer and employee procedures and responsibilities, and
				information about voluntary consultations to improve workplace safety can be
				found on the internet at
www.lni.wa.gov/FormPublications
.
				Information about reporting workplace accidents to OSHA can be found on the
				internet at
http://www.osha.gov/pls/publications/pubindex.list
.
(3)
Specialty compliance
			 services.
This division encompasses several diverse programs related to
				the construction trades, workplace rights, and apprenticeship. Its programs'
				duties include:
Registering contractors to ensure they are bonded and
				insured.
Licensing electrical contractors and elevator mechanics.
Certifying plumbers and electricians.
Regulating and inspecting:
- Electrical installations.
- Boilers and pressure vessels.
- Factory assembled structures.
- Elevators and other conveyances.
Employment standards program:
Develops and enforces rules regulating wages (including
				prevailing wages for public works projects) and hours, and working conditions,
				including those for teenagers.
Apprenticeship program:
Administers the state's apprenticeship training laws and
				policies.
(4)
Operations.
This area includes several internal support divisions including
				administrative services, information services, the office of human resources,
				and fraud prevention and compliance.
Fraud prevention and compliance:
This division encompasses several diverse programs related to
				the prevention of abuse in the workers' compensation system. Its programs
				include:
Audit.
Collections.
Detection and tracking.
Firm appeals.
Investigations.
Significant employer cases.
(5)
Field services.
This division provides the agency with local department program
				service throughout its service locations in six geographic regions of
				Washington.
Statutory Authority:
				  Chapter
				  43.17 RCW, RCW
				  42.17.250(1)(a) and (c), 42.17.290,
				  51.04.020,
				  51.04.030, and 2005 c 483.
				  05-13-151, § 296-06-040, filed 6/21/05, effective 7/22/05. Statutory
				  Authority:
				  RCW
				   51.04.020(4) and
				  51.04.030. 90-07-004, §
				  296-06-040, filed 3/9/90, effective 4/9/90; Order 76-27, § 296-06-040,
				  filed 9/28/76; Order 73-12, § 296-06-040, filed
				  7/31/73.