SAN FRANCISCO – On September 11, AB 140 (Baca/Floyd) was enrolled in the statutes of 1997. The much-amended bill was sponsored by the State Council of Laborers and had wide support from unions and associations. In its final version, it requires the Cal-OSH Standards Board to establish an advisory committee with specified membership to consider …
SAN FRANCISCO – People—many people—are asking what’s the current status of the ergonomics standard. Here’s the situation as of September 23. The language of the proposed court order that was drafted by the Attorney General’s office was not acceptable to the warring parties. In the order drafted for the court (Sacramento Superior Court Judge James …
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has identified natural rubber latex allergy as a priority area for research. NIOSH has issued both a Fact Sheet (June 1997) about latex allergy and an Alert, “Preventing Allergic Reactions to Natural Rubber Latex in the Workplace.” The Alert is NIOSH Publication No. 97-135 …
SAN DIEGO – Riveting speakers delivered an abundance of helpful information to PASMA members at their 24th annual occupational safety and health conference held on Shelter Island in mid-September. It was too bad that fear of a hurricane kept some members away. (PASMA stands for Public Agency Safety Management Association.) Among the subjects covered at …
SAN DIEGO – The Cal-OSH Standards Board has voted to adopt additions, revisions or deletions to the following portions of Title 8 safety orders in the California Code of Regulations. +CONSTRUCTION BLASTING OPERATIONS: 1504 and 1550 through 1579; Appendix B, Plates B-14 and B-15; and Appendix C, Plates C-26b through C-29, were heard at the …
SAN DIEGO – The Cal-OSH Standards Board will hold its monthly public meeting, public hearing and business meeting in Oakland’s Caltrans Building, 111 Grand Ave., on October 16 at 10 a.m. These proposed changes in Title 8 Construction Safety Orders are set for public hearing, each staff-prepared. SEAT BELTS FOR ROLLOVER PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES: Section 1596(g) …
SACRAMENTO – As we go to press, we have draft copies of the proposed Statement of Decision and proposed Order based on the judge’s oral ruling concerning 5110, the ergonomics standard—but Judge Ford will not sign the orders until the parties have approved them. So we’re still waiting for responses. Approval is very much an …
SACRAMENTO – The Riverside District Attorney’s office filed involuntary manslaughter charges September 9 against the plant manager of a Mira Loma company, a planner/scheduler for the firm and an employee of an equipment rental company in connection with a fatal industrial accident last September. The action followed a Cal-OSHA investigation that concluded that managers at …