Blog Archives

FACE: Fall Protection Confined Space Measures Could Have Saved Workers

The lessons learned from two high-profile 2012 fatalities involving a fall and confined space entrapment are that even when fall protection equipment is available, workers need to be properly supervised so that they use it, and that confined spaces sometimes come in forms that aren’t readily apparent to workers. These are the conclusions of the … Read More »

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Over Continued Objections, Standards Board Adopts Controversial PEL

WALNUT CREEK – Despite continued objections from an industry group and a “no” vote from one of its members, the Cal/OSH Standards Board approved a 100-fold reduction in the permissible exposure limit for exposure to naphthalene, a widely used chemical. The adoption, once implemented, will decrease the PEL from 10 parts per million to 0.1 … Read More »

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Two Construction Workers Killed; Fall Protection No Help

Cal/OSHA is investigating the May 18 workplace fatality of a construction worker in Riverside on a freeway project, as well as a similar incident two days later in San Diego. The May 18 incident was at a project on State Highway 91, where a crew was working to replace an old railroad bridge crossing the … Read More »

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Coroner: Heat Illness Did Not Cause Etchegaray Farm Worker’s Death

Disputing a Division of Occupational Safety and Health conclusion that heat illness was likely a factor in the July 5, 2013, death of a worker for Visalia’s Etchegaray Farms, a coroner’s report says heat did not play a role in the fatality. Juan Ochoa, 45, died from cardiac arrhythmia, with obesity as a significant contributing … Read More »

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Decision Day on Abatement Bill

The Assembly Appropriations committee is poised to decide the fate of AB 1634, the latest version of legislation that would mandate employers abate alleged safety violations and alleged dangerous conditions while appeals are under way. Even if the bill by Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Oakland) gets to the Assembly floor and eventually makes it to the governor’s … Read More »

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Unintended Consequences Found in LOTO Revision and Helicopter Landing Regs

WALNUT CREEK – Stakeholders at a May 15 public hearing on a proposal to revise Cal/OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard said the change is welcome, but warned the Standards Board about possible unintended – and deadly – consequences. The board also heard from pilots and safety professionals, who questioned a proposal to enhance safety at helicopter landing … Read More »

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Chronicle Article Misses the Point

Is it true that the Division of Occupational Safety and Health beefing up is Process Safety Management Unit staff with neophyte safety professionals that will be easily bamboozled by oil industry veterans? That’s the impression left in a recent article by the San Francisco Chronicle. It says DOSH is hiring inspectors “out of college with little … Read More »

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Two Killed in First Days of May

An explosion at a shop and a death at an agricultural operation are under investigation by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. On May 6, two employees of Tank Services LLC in the Inland Empire were working on the top of a 9,000-gallon tank to do repair work when it exploded. The men were working … Read More »

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