Class Code 4283
Building Or Roofing Paper Or Felt Asphalt Saturation
Class 4283 applies to industrial operations that saturate building or roofing paper and felt with asphalt. This classification covers the production processes—heating, coating, drying, and rolling—used to produce asphalt-saturated materials. The approved California pure premium rate for September 1, 2026 is $3.207 per $100 of payroll.
What Class Code 4283 Covers
Class 4283 covers manufacturing and processing operations where paper or felt intended for building or roofing is saturated, coated, or impregnated with asphalt or asphalt emulsions. Typical activities include heating asphalt, running saturation or coating vats, passing substrate through rollers and dryers, calendering, cutting, and rewinding finished rolls for packaging. This classification is for the production/processing side — not roof installation crews or general roofing contractors, which are classified under separate roofing codes. Employees working adjacent to saturating lines (material handlers, maintenance, quality lab technicians) are normally included when their payroll is assigned to the production operation.
Who It Applies To
- Manufacturers of asphalt-saturated roofing felt and building papers
- Plant operators and saturating line machine operators
- Maintenance technicians servicing pumps, heaters, and rollers
- Material handlers and forklift operators moving rolls and drums
- Quality control technicians sampling and testing saturated materials
Common Job Duties
- Operating asphalt saturating/coating lines and controlling temperature/flow
- Feeding rolls of paper or felt through vats, rollers, and drying ovens
- Heating and transferring molten asphalt or asphalt emulsion using pumps and heated lines
- Cutting, trimming, rewinding, weighing and packaging finished rolls
- Routine maintenance, cleaning, and replacing rolls, screens, or heaters
- Sampling finished goods for laboratory testing and performing visual inspections
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $3.207 Rate
The approved pure premium rate of $3.207 per $100 of payroll represents the expected cost of claims for this class before insurer expense loads and adjustments. To calculate the pure premium you multiply payroll (in hundreds) by $3.207; insurers then add claims handling, administrative loads, taxes, and any experience modification to determine the final premium. An employer's loss history, safety controls, mix of job tasks, and correct class coding all materially affect the premium they actually pay.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Work with hot asphalt and continuous production lines must follow Cal/OSHA (Title 8) requirements for hazard communication, airborne exposure limits, and ventilation; employers must provide respirators when engineering controls cannot reduce exposures. Machine guarding, lockout/tagout for equipment maintenance, emergency eyewash and shower access, hot-work and flammable-liquid controls, and written hot asphalt handling procedures are commonly required. Training, documented safe work procedures, and routine industrial hygiene monitoring are essential to stay in compliance.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 4283
A PEO like Key HR helps employers in this classification by ensuring accurate class code assignment and payroll reporting, implementing targeted loss-control programs (ventilation, machine guarding, ergonomic handling), and managing claims and return-to-work programs to shorten claim duration. Key HR can provide safety training, written procedures, OSHA recordkeeping support, and group purchasing for PPE and air monitoring services to reduce injuries and workers' comp costs.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does Class 4283 apply to roofers who install felt on job sites?
No. Class 4283 applies to the saturation/processing of paper or felt with asphalt in a manufacturing or plant setting. Roof installation crews and contractors are classified under roofing installation codes; misclassification can lead to audits and higher premiums.
What practical controls reduce claims for asphalt saturation operations?
Effective controls include local exhaust ventilation and capture of asphalt fumes, insulated or shielded hot surfaces, full machine guarding and lockout/tagout, wheeled handling aids or hoists for rolls, spill containment and housekeeping to prevent slippery floors, and required PPE plus regular training and industrial hygiene monitoring.
How will my payroll be audited and can different employees be assigned different class codes?
Insurers perform periodic audits comparing payroll to reported classifications. Accurate job descriptions and separate payroll accounting are essential; employees who spend substantial time on other tasks (maintenance, driving) may be assigned different codes, which can materially affect premium if documented and reported correctly.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 4283
- Classification
- Building Or Roofing Paper Or Felt Asphalt Saturation
- Pure Premium Rate
- $3.207 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
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Get a Quoteor call (800) 922-4133Ready to Simplify Workers' Comp for Class Code 4283?
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