SACRAMENTO — Regarding our Oct. 1 story about Gov. Schwarzenegger’s veto of AB 2532, which would have addressed back problems among health care workers by requiring hospitals to employ dedicated teams and specialized equipment to lift patients, we got the following response from David Eigner, who works as a corporate safety manager in Woodland Hills. …
SACRAMENTO — Unless the Office of Adminstrative Law objects, California farmworkers soon will have a long-sought ban on hand weeding of crops, and health care organizations will have what they say are greatly needed exceptions to respiratory protection regulations. The Cal/OSH Standards Board approved the two emergency regulations at its Sept. 23 meeting here. The …
SACRAMENTO — Workplace fatalities decreased in California last year, continuing and steady decline from the late 1990s, according to data released by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). Nationally, fatalities at work increased slightly. According to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), 456 workers died here last year, a 5 percent decrease from 2002. …
SACRAMENTO — The Cal/OSH Standards Board has issued a second 15-day notice of proposed modifications on its Control of Hazardous Energy proposal. Comments are due on the new changes by Nov. 4. The proposal would revise General Industry Safety Orders 3314 to make the regulation consistent with its federal counterpart and industry practice. Changes were …
SACRAMENTO — Governor Schwarzenegger has vetoed AB 2532, which attempted to address back injuries among hospital workers by requiring general acute care hospitals to adopt back injury prevention plans and use lift teams. The governor also vetoed AB 2545, which would have addressed the practice some retail establishments have reportedly adopted of locking in night …
SACRAMENTO — A roofer was killed Sept. 16 in Oxnard after falling through a roof opening that had been covered by a pallet. According to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the worker was an employee of Angeles ARC Roofing of Oxnard. The company was installing a roof at a construction project. The worker had …
SACRAMENTO — There were no comments on two proposals that were part of the Cal/OSH Standards Board’s public hearing Sept. 23. The first would clarify the types of personal flotation devices (PFDs) meeting the requirements of the Construction Safety Orders for employees working over or near water. The other proposal would address a petitioner’s concern …
SACRAMENTO — An electrical contractors’ organization has requested that the Cal/OSH Standards Board reopen its crane operator qualifications and certification standard to assist in certifying operators for electrical contracting work. Jules Weaver, manager of Western Line Constructors, a chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), appeared before the board Sept. 23 to make NECA’s …