Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has cited Los Angeles Apparel for six serious violations – and a rare willful violation of its fatality and serious injury reporting standard. Cal/OSHA says six employees died from COVID during an outbreak at the facility. The agency says it inspected the firm after receiving reports of a …
There is a new bill in the California Legislature. AB 701, by Assemblyman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), takes aim at quotas for warehouse employees – most particularly Amazon. It would require employers to provide written descriptions of employee quotas, any adverse actions resulting from failure to meet the quota, and inform employees in writing when …
In our January 29th issue, Cal-OSHA Reporter told you about an unusual petition for reconsideration taken up by the Cal/OSHA Appeals Board. The case is DPR Construction, and the board has made its decision on whether it is an “underground regulation” to apply a scaffolding regulation to falsework or shoring erection. The case involved a …
Associated General Contractors of California has honored Jorge Hernandez, project superintendent for Myers & Sons Construction for “individual effort of a project superintendent.” He was among the winners of AGC’s Construction Safety Excellence Awards for 2020, covering 2019. The awards are normally announced in the fall, but were pushed back last year due to the …
There are 22 new workplace fatalities under investigations, including 16 from COVID. COVID deaths attributed to the workplace have been steadily declining. The non-COVID fatalities include three falls. In Roseville, an employee of B Line Construction died from head injuries after falling nearly 12 feet at a construction site. In Los Angeles, an employee of …
Ostensibly aimed at “egregious and flagrant” COVID-19 violations among employers, a new bill in the California Legislature would ratchet up Cal/OSHA penalties for willful violations by allowing the agency to issue a separate violation – and a separate fine – for each exposed employee. Nothing in the bill limits its application to alleged COVID exposures. …
Katrina “Katie” Hagen, Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointee to head the Department of Industrial Relations, easily cleared the Senate Rules Committee. She did face questioning about key workplace safety and workers’ comp issues. Her confirmation now heads to the full Senate. Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) asked Hagen about the controversy over Cal/OSHA’s COVID emergency temporary standard, …
Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has cited several employers after investigating 2020 fatality incidents. But the citations are just a step in the process: next, come the appeals. Employers are presumed innocent until proven guilty. In one case, employee behavior is sure to be a central defense. Employers should be reminded that the …