In November 2018 the Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited Horizon Nut Co. of Tulare for three serious violations and $36,000 in penalties in a case of pesticide exposure involving one of its employees. The employer appealed the violations, as is routine, especially in serious cases. On May 8, 2018, an employee was removing …
The Cal/OSHA Appeals Board has made modifications to a rulemaking proposal. The idea is to relieve employers from having to provide copies of the citations they have been issued when an appeal is made. Stakeholders have until November 12th to comment on the new changes. The board proposed a formal rule after a pilot project …
The Los Angeles County District Attorney has announced a plea deal involving Jason Chiazom Okonkwo and his mother, Kendra Uzoma Okonkwo, on allegations related to financial irregularities at a charter school. The younger Okonkwo was hired last year as a compliance safety and health officer (CHSO) for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, to …
The Cal/OSHA workplace fatality count increased as October comes to a close. This weeks report includes two falls, plus another incident listed so far as “unknown.” The falls were in Manhattan Beach and Richmond. In the Southern California incident, a roofer for Navarro Roofing fell from a single-story home and died at the scene. In …
Cal/OSHA has issued an Order Prohibiting Use for the NuStar Energy facility in Crockett, after two tanks mysteriously exploded October 15th. A huge plume of smoke could be seen all over North Bay Area skies. NuStar has been a Cal/OSHA Voluntary Protection Program site since 2011. No employees were injured in the incident, but the …
The October 18 death of a tow truck mechanic in Otay Mesa, a suburb south of San Diego, is the only death to report this week. Mario Lopez, an employee of Don TJ Towing, was working on a truck the company yard when the truck fell on him, pinning and crushing the worker.
The Associated General Contractors of California has named Art DeLeon of Underground Construction, as its Safety Professional of the Year. DeLeon was among more than 20 individuals and organizations honored with Construction Safety Excellence Awards. AGC feted the winners at its recent annual meeting in Huntington Beach. Cal-OSHA Reporter was a judge for the awards, …
“Here we go again,” said Standards Board chairman Dave Thomas after the board voted to again wade into the prickly issue of regulating the adult film industry. The board’s action came in response to a petition by an anonymous industry member seeking a code of conduct and performers’ bill of rights, a safety and health …