Cal/OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) unit holds a Cal/VPP Star workshop Nov. 17 in Oakland’s Harris State Building. The workshop, presented by current VPP participants, includes an overview of the application process, management commitment, employee involvement, hazard analysis, control and training and mentoring. The free workshop begins at 8 a.m. on the second floor, room …
An employee of a mushroom packing facility near the Sacramento Valley town of Colusa was electrocuted at the plant Oct. 7. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the incident. Gerald Bookout, 41, a Marysville resident, reportedly was performing electrical work on a cold-storage unit at Premier Mushrooms, LP when he made contact …
Good hygiene, particularly “regular and thorough” hand-washing, is the best defense against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), American Society of Safety Engineers reminds safety professionals. The organization issued a statement about the virulent infectious agent after its members expressed concern about its spread. MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that is strongly resistant to methicillin …
As you will see in our story on page 9307 about the results of recent Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) investigations, falls remain a continuing source of fatalities for California workers. So much so that at a recent advisory committee meeting, DOSH Chief Len Welsh voiced his concern about the problem of falls …
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has cited a San Francisco roofing company for an alleged willful violation after an investigation into the deadly Jan. 16 fall of a 37-year-old worker from the roof of an apartment. Antonio Martinez, an employee of California C&R, Inc., fell 38 feet to a sidewalk at the …
OAKLAND — Regulations in the Construction Safety Orders intended to reduce injury incidents during use of pneumatic nailers and staplers are the only ones of their kind in the nation and constitute a work in progress. Moreover, recent revisions indicate a drop in injuries, although it is too early to judge the effectiveness of the …
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) announces a Nov. 13 advisory meeting on a draft plan to reform Cal/OSHA’s citation penalty structure. DOSH wants to restructure its administrative regulations, including §§ 334, 335, 336 and 342 to eliminate the regulatory classification and remove the “severity,” “extent” and “likelihood” factors in penalty calculations, and …
A major manufacturer of influenza vaccines shipped California’s Department of Public Health (DPH) Immunization Branch more than 50,000 prefilled syringes—and millions across the country— without sharps protection, according to the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). Since the Immunization Branch discovered the error and sought help from Cal/OSHA, drugmaker Novartis has agreed to …