The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has adopted a rule amendment to WAC 296-45 based on recommendations from the Electric Utility Safety Advisory Committee. EUSAC recommended that the Department adopt a “Safety Watch”, which entails direct supervision of a qualified person when a nonqualified employee approaches exposed energized electrical equipment in substations or switch yards. The changes were adopted May 5, 2009 and became effective on July 1, 2009.