Section 287-02-055 - Inspection of public records(1) Consistent with other demands, WSIB will provide space to inspect public records. No requestor may remove a document from the viewing area or disassemble, reorder, deface, photograph, or in any way alter any records or collection of records. The requestor may also be supervised by a WSIB employee during the requestor's inspection of the records.(2) After inspection is complete, the requestor will identify which documents, if any, he or she wishes the agency to produce. Consistent with other demands and the volume of documents requested, WSIB may copy the document at that time or provide the copies to the requestor at a later date.(3) Within thirty days of the WSIB's notification that the records are available for inspection or copying, the requestor must claim or review the assembled records. If the requestor or a representative of the requestor fails to claim or review the records within the thirty-day period or make other arrangements, the WSIB may close the request. If the requestor makes a request for the same records, it will be processed as a new request.(4) When the inspection of the requested records is complete and all requested copies are provided, the public records officer will indicate that WSIB has completed its search for the requested records and made any nonexempt records available for inspection.(5) Many records are available on the WSIB web site at www.sib.wa.gov, and requestors are encouraged to review the documents available on the web site prior to submitting a records request.(6) Records will be made available to the requestor subject to the following restrictions: (a) The records may not be removed from the area designated;(b) The quantity of records may be limited in accordance with the requested use;(c) All possible care must be taken by the requestor to prevent damage to the records;(d) Records may not be marked, altered, cut, mutilated, or defaced in any way including writing on, folding or folding anew if in folded form, tracing or fastening with clips or other fasteners except those that may already exist in the file;(e) Use of liquids and fountain pens and eating, drinking, and smoking while utilizing the records is prohibited;(f) Records must be kept in the order in which received;(g) All copying of records will be done by WSIB personnel; and(h) Records will be returned to the public records officer by the requestor at the conclusion of the time given to inspect records and no later than the end of the customary office hours as set forth in WAC 287-02-035.(7) When a requestor requests records in an electronic format, the public records officer will provide available non-exempt electronic public records or portions of such records that are reasonably locatable in an electronic format that is used by the agency and is generally commercially available, or in a format that is reasonably translatable from the format in which the agency keeps the record, or as otherwise agreed to between the requestor and the public records officer.(8) Whenever possible, WSIB will provide records in electronic format. If the WSIB has only a paper copy of the record, the WSIB, when feasible, may scan the paper record and provide the resulting electronic copy to the requestor. If the WSIB maintains the record in electronic format, the record will be provided in the maintained electronic format unless the requestor specifically asks to receive the record in paper copies or it is otherwise not feasible to provide the record in electronic format.Wash. Admin. Code § 287-02-055
Adopted by WSR 16-24-047, Filed 12/1/2016, effective 1/1/2017Amended by WSR 18-18-013, Filed 8/24/2018, effective 9/24/2018