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(Effective September 1, 2025)

PDFWAC 246-366A-010

Definitions.

The following definitions apply to these rules:
(1) "Addition" means an extension or increase in floor area or height of a building or structure.
(2) "Air contaminants of public health importance" means pollutants in the indoor air that could, depending on dose and circumstances, have health impacts, including but not limited to:
(a) Volatile organic compounds, for example, formaldehyde and benzene;
(b) Combustion by-products, for example, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides;
(c) Vapors and gases, for example, chlorine, mercury, and ozone;
(d) Heavy metal dusts and fumes, for example, chromium and lead; and
(e) Particulates, for example, wood and ceramic dust.
(3) "Alteration" means any construction or renovation to an existing structure other than repair or addition.
(4) "Construction" or "construction project" means any activity subject to state or local building codes.
(5) "Construction documents" means written, graphic, and pictorial documents prepared or assembled for describing the design, location, and physical characteristics of the elements of a project necessary for obtaining a building permit.
(6) "Contaminant" means any hazardous material that occurs at greater than natural background levels.
(7) "Decibel (dB)" means a standard unit of measurement of sound pressure.
(8) "Decibel, A-weighted (dBA)" means a decibel measure that has been weighted in accordance with the A-weighting scale. The A-weighting adjusts sound level as a function of frequency to correspond approximately to the sensitivity of human hearing.
(9) "Department" means the Washington state department of health.
(10) "Drinking fountain" means the type of plumbing fixture that delivers a stream of water for drinking without actively cooling the water.
(11) "Emergency eye wash" means a hands-free device that:
(a) Irrigates and flushes both eyes simultaneously with tepid potable water;
(b) Activates an on-off valve in one second or less and remains on without user assistance until intentionally turned off; and
(c) Delivers at least 0.4 gallons (1.5 liters) of water per minute for at least fifteen minutes.
(12) "Emergency shower" means a hand-activated shower that delivers tepid potable water to cascade over the user's entire body at a minimum rate of 20 gallons (75 liters) per minute for at least fifteen minutes.
(13) "Equivalent sound level (Leq)" means the level of a constant sound that, over a given time period, contains the same amount of sound energy as the measured fluctuating sound.
(14) "Faucet" means a type of plumbing fixture that is a valved outlet device attached to a pipe that normally serves a sink or tub and can discharge hot water, cold water, or both.
(15) "First draw sample" means a water sample collected immediately upon opening a plumbing fixture that has not been used for at least eight hours prior to collection.
(16) "Flush sample" means a water sample collected after allowing cold water to run for at least thirty seconds from a plumbing fixture that has not been used for at least eight hours prior to collection.
(17) "Foot-candle" means a unit of measure of the intensity of light falling on a surface, equal to one lumen per square foot.
(18) "Hazardous materials" means toxic, corrosive, flammable, explosive, persistent, or chemically reactive substances that, depending on dose and circumstances, pose a threat to human health.
(19) "Imminent health hazard" means a significant threat or significant danger to health or safety that requires immediate action to prevent serious illness, injury, or death.
(20) "Implementation" or "implemented" means being given or having the force of law, requiring compliance, and being subject to enforcement.
(21) "Laboratory" means instructional areas of the school facility where students might be exposed to greater potential health and safety hazards than typically exist in general academic classrooms. Such laboratories may include, but are not limited to, chemistry, physics, material science, and biology laboratories or art studios (for example: Darkrooms, ceramic studios, and print making studios).
(22) "Local board of health" means the county or district board of health as defined in RCW 70.05.010(3).
(23) "Local health officer" means the legally qualified physician who has been appointed as the health officer for the county or district public health department as defined in RCW 70.05.010, or his or her authorized representative, including, but not limited to, the environmental health director.
(24) "Mechanical exhaust ventilation" means the removal of indoor air to the outside of the building by mechanical means.
(25) "Noise criterion (NC)" means a system for rating the noise level in an occupied area by comparing actual or calculated sound level spectra with a series of established octave band spectra.
(26) "Noise criterion 35 (NC35)" means the curve for specifying the maximum permissible sound pressure level for each frequency band.
(27) "Preschool" means an instructional curriculum and portion of a school facility designed to instruct children not old enough to attend kindergarten.
(28) "Portable" means any relocatable structure that is transported to a school site and is placed or assembled there for use by students as part of a school facility.
(29) "Repair" means the reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing school facility for the purpose of its maintenance.
(30) "School" means any public, religious-affiliated, or private institution for instructing students in any grade from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
(31) "School board" means an appointed or elected board whose primary responsibility is to operate schools or to contract for school services and includes the governing body or owner of a private school.
(32) "School facility" means buildings or grounds owned or leased by the school or donated to the school for the primary purpose of student use including, but not limited to, portables, playgrounds and sports fields.
(33) "School officials" means those persons designated by the school board as responsible for planning, policy development, budgeting, management, or other administrative functions.
(34) "Shop" means instructional areas of the school facility where students are exposed to greater health and safety hazards than typically exist in general academic classrooms. Shops include, but are not limited to, industrial and agricultural shops, including career and technical education (for example: Metal-working, wood-working, construction, automotive, and horticulture).
(35) "Site" means any real property used or proposed to be used as a location for a school facility.
(36) "Source capture system" means a mechanical exhaust system designed and constructed to capture air contaminants at their source and release air contaminants to the outdoor atmosphere.
(37) "Tempered water" means water having a temperature range between eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit and one hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit.
(38) "Tepid water" means water having a temperature range between sixty degrees Fahrenheit and ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit.
(39) "Toxic" means having the properties to cause or significantly contribute to death, injury, or illness.
(40) "Variance" means an alternative to a specific requirement in these rules, approved by the local health officer, that provides a comparable level of protection.
(41) "Very low lead plumbing fixture" means plumbing fittings or fixtures used in the installation or repair of any plumbing providing water for human consumption that contain less than 0.3% lead by weight.
(42) "Water cooler" means a type of mechanical plumbing fixture that actively cools the water.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. WSR 10-01-174, 10-12-018, 11-10-080, 13-09-040, 15-09-070, 17-14-055, 19-14-107, 21-14-056, 22-14-021, 23-16-005, and 24-14-089, ยง 246-366A-010, filed 12/22/09, 5/21/10, 5/3/11, 4/11/13, 4/15/15, 6/28/17, 7/2/19, 7/1/21, 6/24/22, 7/19/23, and 6/28/24, effective 9/1/25.]