Blog Archives

Workplace Fatality Update – Jul 31, 2020

Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating 29 new workplace fatalities, including 25 from complications of COVID-19. First, the other workplace incidents. In San Bernardino, an employee of Diversified Utility Service was electrocuted. The employee was working from a bucket connected to the boom of an aerial truck at an elevated position when … Read More »

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Settlements in Fatality Cases – Jul 31, 2020

Employers and Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently reached settlements in dozens of cases, including several fatalities. Here are the results of the most serious cases. Multi-Family Property Services, Rancho Cucamonga: This employer will pay $30,060 of a proposed $49,500 (61%) in the July 2017, heat illness death of an employee. The employee … Read More »

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Is COVID-19 Recordability Not a Function of Positive Testing?

Cal/OSHA quidance says a COVID-19 case is recordable even if there is no positive test to confirm the diagnosis.  And that is a big issue. Major Cal/OSHA stakeholders opine the Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s guidelines for when and how employers should record cases of COVID-19 are out of compliance with federal requirements. Under … Read More »

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Appeals Board Goes to Video Hearings

The Cal/OSHA Appeals Board has decided to start holding its appeal hearings via video. While this is in part a result of the pandemic it may also become the new normal. The first such hearing is scheduled for July 28th and is the pilot. The board says it has developed its tele-hearing procedures after consulting … Read More »

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The Costs of Fatal Mistakes

Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has cited dozens of employers in workplace fatality cases in recent months. Among the most significant are three electrocutions, a failed beam, a tractor-trailer run-over and a flash fire at a nail salon. Here are the details on these cases. The electrocutions were in Palo Alto, Sonora and … Read More »

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Workplace Fatality Update – Jul 24, 2020

Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating at least 31 workplace fatalities since the last week of June. The majority of them – 19 – are from COVID-19. Here’s the latest report. The non-COVID fatalities include: An incident in Vernon in which a welder for Atlas Galvanizing was hit by a load of … Read More »

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Is the Attorney General’s Ag Query A Cause for Worry?

An extensive set of questions sent by the California Attorney General’s office to agricultural employers about their COVID-19 protections is raising a host of questions of its own: Is the AG considering action against employers it doesn’t consider having sufficient protection from the novel coronavirus? Why is this coming from the AG and not Cal/OSHA? … Read More »

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New Petition: Rebar Cage Internal Bracing

California’s recent history has examples of rebar cages that have collapsed and killed workers. But a major construction company says internally bracing columns can create “safer conditions in the field.” Marisa “Reese” Fortin, CSP, ARP, CHST, STSC, area safety manager for Sundt Construction in Irvine, has petitioned the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to allow for internal … Read More »

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