A University of California-Davis study on heat exposure among farmworkers is getting indications that it isn’t the work but the personal habits of the workers, which are causing heat illness issues. The study is in its final two years and has gathered data on almost 600 workers. But there are no definitive findings yet. The …
Mid-October has seen five California workers die on the job. Here’s a rundown of the recent incidents: A worker for the Apple Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County died October 14 from injuries sustained a week earlier. According to Cal/OSHA, the employee was injured after falling off a ladder. An employee of Garza …
Proving that Cal-OSHA Reporter’s reader’s comments make a difference, the Cal/OSH Standards Board has made changes aimed at clarifying the rule change to a proposal addressing “adequate design” of equipment. The Board is continuing to accept comments on these proposed changes until Nov. 3rd. It undertook the proposal after an Appeals Board decision dismissed a …
A recent hearing on the Department of Industrial Relations’ proposal to implement AB 1634 on abatement credits for serious Title 8 violations has convinced the department that it needs to extend – again – an emergency regulation in place since early this year. The new rules mean that employers aren’t given an automatic 50% abatement …
A recent story in one of California’s largest papers quoted a climatologist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as saying that the huge El Nino expected this winter is “too big to fail.” Less than a week later, that prediction took on an element of prophecy when torrential rains in Northern Los Angeles County unleashed flash …
In a case of significance to employers with workers potentially exposed to indoor heat illness, the Cal/OSHA Appeals Board has overturned a decision by one of its administrative law judges. It reinstated serious violations and sizable penalties against two employers in a combined case. The Decision After Reconsideration affirms the ability of the Division of …
Nine construction workers were injured, three critically, on a freeway overpass project in Corona when a section being lowered into place suddenly collapsed. Work was halted on the State Highway 91 project while safety procedures were being assessed. The workers were under a bridge deck while a section was being lowered and were engaged in …
How close is Cal/OSHA to formal proposals on updating its decades-old lead standards? Stakeholders will learn that on November 10 when the Division of Occupational Safety and Health convenes a meeting to unveil the latest drafts. The Division is seeking to revise the standards – General Industry Safety Orders §5198 and Construction Safety Orders §1532.1 …