CONCORD, CA – It’s official—Governor Wilson has appointed Rick Rice as Deputy Director, Communications, for the Department of Industrial Relations. Rice was Cal-OSHA’s public information officer (then DIR’s PIO) for some time before being elevated to the interim slot at DIR that has now been formalized. Senate confirmation is not required.
CONCORD, CA – At the November 7 Cal-OSH Advisory Committee meeting, Chief Counsel Mike Mason recapped three Cal-OSHA-related bills that the governor has signed: SB 987, SB 1486 and SB 2005. They concern waiving construction permits for movie sets, incidental asbestos work in residential construction and a “sharps” injury surveillance study. (See NEWS p. 00-6505.) …
SAN DIEGO – On November 14, the seven members of the Cal-OSH Standards Board voted unanimously to adopt Title 8 5110, Repetitive Motion Injuries. This makes California “the first state in the nation with an ergonomics standard to protect workers from work-related repetitive motion injuries (RMI),” in the words of the press release issued on …
LOS ANGELES – The November 7 meeting of the Cal-OSHA Advisory Committee was concentrated on the outreach efforts of Cal-OSHA Consultation’s Education and Training Unit. After giving a brief administrative report, Deputy Chief Mark Carleson turned the meeting over to Mike Alvarez. Alvarez has been with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health since 1976. …
LOS ANGELES – 24-HOUR LINE FOR ACCIDENT REPORTING: Marianne Brown asked how, if a fatality or serious injury accident occurred after 5 p.m., it could be reported to the Division within eight hours, as is now required. “Each Cal-OSHA district office has a 24-hour line for emergencies. The answering service has a call list (of …
SAN FRANCISCO – In October, the Department of Industrial Relations invited a group to discuss issues related to alternate methods of funding the Cal-OSHA High Hazard Employer Program (a.k.a. Targeted Inspection and Consultation Program, or TICP). The employer representatives at the table were outnumbered by members of the workers’ compensation insurance community. No one in …
CONCORD, CA – Shortly after the nation’s voters returned the Clinton administration to power, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) submitted a letter to the President and (outgoing) Labor Secretary Robert Reich supporting reappointment of Joseph Dear as Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. ASSE said reappointment was justified because of Dear’s “professionalism, performance, …
CONCORD, CA – IBEW Local 1245’s Utility Reporter, in its November issue describes the circumstances of the deaths of two members. ELECTROCUTION: Jeff Orona, a 25-year-old apprentice line clearance tree trimmer was electrocuted on a road in St. Helena on October 17. He was attempting to remove a tree limb over a 21 KV line, …