A Stockton worker was killed at a Modesto construction site after being hit by a beam that fell off a roof. Cal/OSHA is investigating this and another workplace fatality. The incident occurred at a project to construct a nearly 500,000-square-foot facility at the Beard Industrial District. The worker, identified as 52-year-old Jose Magana, was cleaning …
LA PALMA – For the first time in decades, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is approaching a regulatory third-rail by taking serious steps toward updating its regulations on personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters. Under a 1987 California Supreme Court ruling, state agencies such as Cal/OSHA can’t impose requirements – mandates – on local agencies unless …
The Department of Industrial Relations is refuting assertions that it has contemplated disbanding its High Hazard-Enforcement Unit over Fed-OSHA concerns about performance, and employee concerns over its management. It called the idea a rumor. But the rumors were widespread enough that its manager, Wende Carleson, was prompted to issue a memorandum aimed at dispelling them. …
FULLERTON – Raytheon Co. is a specialist in developing and building systems for America’s defense establishment. When it comes to protecting its thousands of workers, the contractor employs the best defense of all – prevention. Raytheon’s continued effort to achieve safety excellence has resulted in another Cal/OSHA Voluntary Protection Program Star, at its Fullerton site. …
Two California workers lost their lives in recent days after being struck by objects they were working around. Cal/OSHA is investigating the incidents. In late January, a worker for Pacific Rim Dairy in Corcoran was killed when a hay bale fell on him. A few days later, an employee of Mr. Crane, based in Orange, …
The Cal/OSH Standards Board has denied a petition by a technology instructor to require workers doing tasks in proximity to high-voltage lines to be equipped with magnetometers as warning devices. Board staff and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health agreed that the devices cannot be relied upon in these settings. Even in the worst …
Two Central Coast employers face citations from Cal/OSHA of almost $75,000 between them after an investigation into a July 2015 incident that left a worker with severe injuries due to the firms’ alleged failure to observe lockout/tagout (LOTO) principles. The accident nearly resulted in death according to Cal/OSHA. LOTO violations constitute one of the major …
A California union is urging the Cal/OSH Standards Board to apply new federal fall protection rules for electrical workers to telecommunication workers climbing poles or towers. The rules require employees to use new-age fall protection equipment. California is already working on its version of the regulation, which went into effect in April 2015. The Cal/OSHA …