Blog Archives

ALJ Dismisses Serious Violations, $27,000 In Penalties In Amputation Case Because Of Name Technicality

Cal/OSHA’s case against a Southern California contractor in an amputation incident was thrown out without any discussion of its merits after an Appeals Board administrative law judge (ALJ) ruled that it had a fatal error – DOSH had technically listed the company name incorrectly in the citations. Arthur J. Brewster Corp., dba Prestige Kitchens, Inc., … Read More »

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DOSH’s New High-Hazard Concept: First An Inspection, Then A Helping Hand

LOS ANGELES – The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) High-Hazard Unit (HHU) will launch a pilot project that the agency hopes will better target high-hazard employers and provide a lasting – and positive – presence in their industries. DOSH Deputy Chief for Cal/OSHA Enforcement Vicky Heza announced the project at the March 6 … Read More »

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Appeals Board’s Pilot Project For ALJs

To whittle down its backlog of 2,000 citation cases, Cal/OSH Appeals Board plans a pilot project that will allow administrative law judges to take a “case management” approach to appeals. Under the project, ALJs will be assigned cases and given responsibility for determining the best way to resolve them within 10 months. “We want them … Read More »

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High Hazard Inspections: Don’t Confuse Fed-OSHA With Cal/OSHA

Cal-OSHA Reporter‘s March 7 News Digest item about Fed-OSHA’s recent letters to some 14,000 employers across the country alerting them that their injury and illness rates are “considerably higher” than the national average provoked this response from reader Paul Burnett, safety program administrator for Santa Clara Valley Water District: “I think there is a very … Read More »

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Roof Measurement Turns Deadly

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is investigating a March 5 incident that took the life of an apartment manager’s assistant. The 50-year-old victim fell from the roof of a three-story building in Los Angeles while assisting an apartment manager taking measurements for a repair job. “The victim was reported to have been … Read More »

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Tractor Safety Checkdown

MONTEREY – Incidents involving tractors account for about 50% of on-the-farm injuries and all-too-familiar deaths. Rollovers, runovers and incidents involving power take-offs are responsible for the majority of incidents. But slips and falls, entanglements and struck-bys also can be deadly. In a four-hour train-the-trainer session at the recent AgSafe conference led by Cal Poly-San Luis … Read More »

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Nursery Tale: Half Moon Bay Company’s Safety Turnaround

MONTEREY – Just five years ago, Nurserymen’s Exchange, Inc. (NE), on the brink of failure. The company was in crisis mode because of injuries and skyrocketing workers’ comp costs due to a “culture of tolerance” for ignoring safety rules and procedures. Costs rose 400% between 1999 and 2003 and the company’s X-Mod, or experience modification … Read More »

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Final Cuts On Table Saw Proposal

Cal/OSH Standards Board has revised its proposed changes to the General Industry Safety Orders (GISO) on table saw safety, based on comments from OSHA officials. The board is taking comments on the modifications until March 17. The rulemaking proposal would create a new “vertical” standard, GISO §4300.1 and revise §§ 4297 and 4300. The board … Read More »

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