The name “Hydra” has several meanings: the mythological, many-headed serpent; a tiny freshwater invertebrate with astonishing regenerative abilities; and a stunning Greek island in the Aegean Sea. There’s a new entry: a logistics depot at a decommissioned Air Force base in the Sacramento area, which is the newest member of Cal/OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program. This …
Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health revised its draft regulation on general industry workplace violence prevention. The Division is accepting comments on its latest iteration of General Industry Safety Orders §3343 until June 1st. What happens next is the question. For the time being, DOSH is enforcing workplace violence prevention requirements through the California …
A national trade organization for outdoor power equipment has petitioned the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to update its standard on power lawn mowers. The regulation, General Industry Safety Orders §3563, was first adopted in 1978 and has been amended three times, the last in 2010. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), based in Alexandria, Virginia, seeks …
The Cal/OSHA Appeals Board has approved hundreds of citation case settlements for April. Here are the most significant of them – fatality cases that were resolved between the Division of Occupational Safety and Health and employers. Diversified Utility Services, Bakersfield: This specialty utility contractor will pay $38,060 (59%) of the $64,120 DOSH proposed following a …
There are six new workplace fatalities in California. In Lincoln, Placer County, an employee of Berseth Builders LLC attempted to climb back onto a moving telehandler and was run over. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Berseth, based in Carmichael, is too small to qualify for experience rating (EMR) and has workers’ comp insurance …
Cal/OSHA has recognized six employers for their efforts to enhance safety at their worksites through the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), and the Golden Gate Partnership Program. The new VPP Star site is Hydra Distribution & Rail Services, a logistics company working at the former McClellan Air Force Base …
This week has seen the annual national Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, where crews at worksites take a break from their everyday chores to reinforce the importance of fall protection. Falls are continually one of the biggest sources of serious injuries and fatalities. California sees its share of falls, and there have been …