Port restroom access now law in Washington state Land Line State - Land Line Media
A new law in Washington state is intended to help address the concern of professional drivers about access to restroom facilities.
Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law a bill to give truck drivers operating at ports around the state assurances for access to restrooms.Add New
The Washington Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, and the American Trucking Associations have worked together in the state to educate legislators about the need for truck drivers to have access to restrooms.
Focus on port haulers
Previously HB1706, the new law requires terminal operators to provide “a sufficient number of restrooms” for use by drayage truckers in areas of the terminal that operators typically have access to. Areas covered in the new law include inside the gate and truck queuing lots.
Restrooms could include fixed bathrooms or portable toilets.
Terminal operators would be in compliance with the rule when a policy is in place to allow drayage truckers to leave their vehicles at “reasonable times and locations” for purposes of access to restrooms.
Facilities must be in areas where access would not pose an “obvious health or safety risk” to the user.
Drayage truck operators accessing the terminal for the purpose of loading, unloading, or transporting cargo would be covered by the rule.
The new rule takes effect on June 9.
Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, said on social media his bill ensures that truck drivers have access to restrooms at port terminals.
“Truck drivers provide a critical service, helping us put food on the table and keeping our economy moving, they should have access to bathrooms when they’re doing this work.”
Truckers say more help is needed.
As HB1706 made its way through the statehouse, OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh explained to lawmakers that the bill covers a daily dilemma for truck drivers, and taking action is an opportunity for the Legislature to address “a basic human need.”
The Association asked legislators to add language to HB1706 to include shippers and receivers in the requirement for providing restroom access. Despite OOIDA’s efforts, the language was not included in the final version. LL
More Land Line coverage of news from Washington.
Keith Goble has been covering trucking-related laws since 2000. His daily web reports, radio news and “OOIDA’s State Watch” in Land Line Magazine are the industry’s premier sources for information regarding state legislative affairs.
source: https://landline.media/new-washington-state-law-covers-restroom-access-for-port-haulers/
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.