At issue is General Industry Safety Orders §3301, which prohibits employers from using compressed air or other gases in excess of 10 pounds per square inch to blow dirt, chips or dust from clothing while it is being worn. Specialty Granules, owned by U.S. Mine Corp., is employing a dust cleaning booth system developed by …
As the hard-hit North Bay and other parts of northern and southern California recover from devastating wildfires that spread to urban areas, it’s essential that worker protection not take a back seat to clearing rubble. A reader recently inquired about Cal/OSHA’s role in the recovery efforts. “I have heard that DOSH [the Division of Occupational …
San Jose employer Mannington Mills is looking at a potential $290,000 in penalties after the Division of Occupational Safety, and Health High Hazard Unit conducted a surprise inspection. No workers are alleged to have been injured by the violations. Most interesting is that the company has a low Experience Mod (X-Mod) of just 0.62, according …
The Cal/OSH Standards Board has unanimously approved a significant reduction in the permissible exposure limit for benzyl chloride, a substance used in many products. It appears the change will not to affect many California employers or employees. The PEL reduction, from 1 part per million to 0.03 and from 5 micrograms per cubic meter per …
Seven more California employees died on the job in recent weeks, and Cal/OSHA is also investigating four other workplace fatalities that appear to be from natural causes. Here’s the latest fatality report: Two workers died in recent falls. In Riverside, a drywall worker for Southland Commercial Interiors was on a scissor lift when he fell …
The Cal/OSH Standards Board approved an update to Title 8 diving safety regulations, aimed at making them equivalent to Fed-OSHA’s regulations. But the so-called “Horcher” adoption left out three sections that suddenly proved controversial. Board staff says it will hold a future advisory committee meeting to discuss those provisions with stakeholders. Staff initiated the regulatory …
After announcing that it was extending an emergency regulation that reduced elevator and conveyance inspection fees by 25%, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health has reversed itself, saying the emergency regulation will expire at the end of October and the costs will go back up. That means the inspection fees will revert to 2016 …
Cal/OSHA Issues Notice for Worker Safety during Fire Cleanup Oakland—Cal/OSHA has posted materials that provide guidance for employers and workers on working safely during fire cleanup. Hazards remain after fires have been extinguished and cleanup begins. Employers performing cleanup and other work in areas damaged or destroyed by fire are required to identify and evaluate …