Blog Archives

Alameda Court Orders End to Furloughs for Some State Workers

Alameda County Superior Judge Frank Roesch has ordered the Schwarzenegger administration to end furloughs for all state workers who are paid from non-General Fund accounts. The order applies to all employees regardless of bargaining unit or union affiliation in nearly 70 “special fund” agencies statewide, including several that are part of the Department of Industrial … Read More »

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Busy Spring Ahead

A State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) seminar on March 10 kicks off a busy schedule of occupational safety and health events as winter turns to spring. SCIF presents “Return-to-Work Programs and Cal/OSHA Citations,” at its Bay Area Policy Services office, 5890 Owens Dr. in Pleasanton. The free seminar from 8 a.m. to noon explores return-to-work … Read More »

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DOSH Probes Galt Fatality

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is investigating a Feb. 22 fatality at an agricultural operation in Galt, on the Sacramento-San Joaquin county line. The employee of Gary Pellandini Dairy had been moving or preparing to move hay bales from a barn to a different part of the farm and subsequently was discovered lying … Read More »

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What’s the Missing Ingredient in Safety Programs? Candor, Study Finds

Despite marked improvement in safety performance over the past 20 years or so, with advances in equipment, policies, systems and training, persistent hazards lie just below the surface in many organizations – entrenched habits, social norms and informal practices, an organizational performance company finds. VitalSmarts, a Utah firm, has released a study of 1,600 frontline … Read More »

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Acetylene, Hot-Work Revisions Now in Standards Board Comment Period

The Cal/OSH Standards Board has published a pair of proposed regulatory revisions that update Title 8 standards on acetylene and fire prevention for welding. The proposals are in a 45-day comment period that ends April 15 with a public hearing before the board in Sacramento. Neither regulatory change is major but updates references to national … Read More »

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“I Don’t Plan to Go out Crippled,” Emotional Worker tells Standards Board

OAKLAND — Nina Duren says Cal/OSHA is blithely foisting regulations onto workplaces that are forcing workers into injurious situations and driving employers out of the state. And she drove 180 miles Feb. 18 to make that point, with the faint hope that the Cal/OSH Standards Board would reject its staff opinion and approve her petition … Read More »

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Cal/OSHA and Common Sense

In industry, companies sometimes don’t understand the importance, impact and benefit that a well-developed and implemented safety program has on their bottom lines, especially when the employees’ well-being is not of much concern to management. But most companies do care, and once they know the obligations and benefits (no or fewer employee injuries, less direct … Read More »

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Sacramento Safety Expo, March 30-April 1

The sixth annual construction Safety Expo marks its second year at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, March 30-April 1. The conference brings the industry the latest safety education and training, including 140 sessions. The expo also includes a safety trade show. Education tracks include compliance certification, construction safety and management, and green building and welding. … Read More »

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