Blog Archives

Committee Reaches Consensus On Seat Belts For Certain Industrial Trucks

A Cal/OSHA advisory committee has reached consensus on changes to safety standards on forklifts to prevent worker injuries in rollovers and make the regulation current with national consensus standards. The changes could be scheduled for a Standards Board public hearing as early as this summer. Committee chair Tom Mitchell says the consensus recommendation was to … Read More »

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Fed-OSHA Contradicts Cal/OSHA On Cart Firewalls For Gas Cylinders?

There are three Fed-OSHA letters of interpretation (LOIs) that contradict Larry McCune’s interpretation of “in use.” (“DOSH Clarifies Gas Cylinder Policy,” News, Feb. 8, 2008, p. 9116.) The latest was May 8, 2006, which also summarized LOIs issued Dec. 31, 1998 and Sept. 9, 1993. Essentially, Fed-OSHA says, “…when it is reasonably anticipated that gas … Read More »

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Attorney: Following Appeals Board Rules Now As Important As Legal Strategy

Having a great defense to your Cal/OSHA citation is important, says Healdsburg attorney Fred Walter. But following Cal/OSH Appeals Board procedural rules now is equally important. Walter, who specializes in defending employers who have been cited by Cal/OSHA, says the board’s attitude has changed. With a persistent (albeit shrinking) backlog of appeals and petitions for … Read More »

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Food Safety Versus Worker Safety?

Maria Becerra says exposure to elevated levels of chlorine gas in a vegetable processing plant in the Salinas Valley left her with headaches, burning skin and eyes, and permanent sensitization to substances with chlorine in them. What’s more, after she reported her exposure, she effectively was “fired” when the company told her it had no … Read More »

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Worker Crushed By Lumber Load; Fire Captain Crushed Between Engines

A worker was killed unloading lumber on Feb. 14 in Oakland, following a Feb. 11 incident in which a fire captain in Marin County suffered crushed legs when he got caught between two fire engines. In the Valentine’s Day incident, worker Brian Adkins, 43, of Antioch, was unloading a flatbed truck containing lumber at a … Read More »

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Appeals Board’s Traeger Reappointed

Candice Traeger, who has served as chair of Cal/OSH Appeals Board since 2004 and overseen a concerted effort to eliminate the board’s big backlog of appeals, has been reappointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. The reappointment requires state Senate confirmation. Before joining the board, Traeger served as director of public affairs for United Parcel Service for California … Read More »

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Signs Of The Times

Signs, signs, everywhere signs. Cal/OSHA regulations have requirements for scores of them – about 90. Reader Paul Burnett, safety program administrator for Santa Clara Valley Water District, compiled the following matrix of sign requirements found in Title 8 safety orders. This version of the matrix is condensed for space considerations. To find the full maxtrix, … Read More »

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Cal/OSHA To Revise Construction Hoist Regulation To Prevent Deaths, Serious Injuries During Inspections

A Cal/OSHA advisory committee is sending Cal/OSH Standards Board a rulemaking proposal intended to “severe disabling and fatal” injuries to construction personnel hoist (CPH) operators and inspectors. The committee agreed to a number of changes to Construction Safety Orders §1604 on car-top operations that would modify existing language in the safety order that requires CPHs … Read More »

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