Is the state controller guilty of bad judgment, bad timing or neither? John Chiang’s authorization of $2 million in workstations and office furniture for the State Controller’s Office (SCO) is raising eyebrows and cries of irresponsibility due to California’s ongoing money drought. A Sacramento television station recently aired a piece accusing Chiang of “ordering $2 …
A crane expert writes that changes to General Industry Safety Orders §4994(b)(3) effective Feb. 28 need further revision. “I discussed [this] with the Standards Board staff several weeks ago, but was told it was too late to make changes,” says Bradley Closson, principal of CRAFT Forensic Services in Bonita. The revisions require crane outriggers to …
The San Francisco Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) holds its annual professional development conference Feb. 18 at the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Conference Center in San Francisco. Keynote speaker is ASSE Region 1 Vice President Terrie Norris, addressing “Measuring Safety Program Success.” Other sessions include: “NFPA 70E — Standard for …
A safety professional’s efforts leading to a sharp decrease in injuries at his firm, and a company that has gone almost five years without a lost-time incident were recognized by Sacramento’s Safety Center with Excellence in Safety awards. They were honored Feb. 5 at the center’s annual symposium. Chris Boylan, safety manager for the civil …
California’s 30-year-old lead-exposure standards may be revamped thanks to an accumulation of evidence that even lower levels of lead in blood can lead to adverse health effects. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and the Occupational Health Branch (OHB) of the Department of Public Health are cooperating on disseminating the latest information on …
A reminder that California State University Northridge hosts its 2009 Technology Symposium Feb. 19. The topic is “The Legacy of Endocrine Disruptors: Should I Be Worried?” The event is 4 to 10 p.m. at the University Student Union. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that act like hormones and disrupt the physiological function of natural hormones. They …
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has issued citations for one serious and two general violations following the Aug. 22 electrocution of an apprentice electrician killed while replacing a light fixture. Ruben Mora, 27, was part of a crew for Fineline Electric, Inc., of Anaheim that was remodeling an industrial building in Buena …
By a majority vote following a public hearing, the following revisions to a Title 8 safety order have been adopted by the Cal/OSH Standards Board. They have been approved by the Office of Administrative Law and now are in the California Code of Regulations. PROPERLY RIGGED (HANDLING LOADS):: Revisions to General Industry Safety Orders §4999 …