Hundreds of employers were among the latest settlements of Cal/OSHA citation cases. Here are some of the most significant cases. Employers often negotiate sharp penalty reductions and reclassification of serious violations, which is why Cal/OSHA citations are almost always appealed. Fatalities Four fatality cases are among the settlements. In the case of Napa’s De Coninck …
Cal/OSHA has cited employers following investigations into workplace fatalities occurring earlier this year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. faces more than $40,000 in potential penalties in a May 3rd fatality. An employee was struck on the head by an object while opening the endcap of a dry-launch door at a Calistoga worksite. The Division cited …
Cal/OSHA missed its goal of 5,775 inspections in 2021 by about 10%, Fed-OSHA says in its latest evaluation of the program. Nonetheless, the Feds say the agency made progress toward addressing previous findings and observations, as reflected in the latest Federal Annual Monitoring and Evaluation (FAME) report. The 5,282 inspections Cal/OSHA conducted resulted in some …
In response to comments from stakeholders – some pointed – the Cal/OSHA Standards Board has again revised the proposal for its first aid standard to update the requirements for employers’ first-aid kits. The new revisions remove requirements for specific types of containers for kits, conform better to Fed-OSHA requirements on kit inspection, and clarify a …
The High Hazard Industry List for this year, which started October 1st, targets private-industry sectors with Days Away, Restricted Duty or Transfer (DART) rates of at least 4.4 for potential “programmed” enforcement inspections, as well as outreach from the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service. The rate equals 200% of the 2020 DART rate for private industry, which …
There are two new workplace fatalities from recent days. In Courtland, Sacramento County, an employee of Douglas Chan Family Farms was driving a tractor on a county road when he drove into an irrigation ditch, and the tractor rolled on top of him, killing the employee. Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is not …
Healthcare is a growth industry. It is expected to increase 7.1% between 2022 and 2027, according to the healthcare consultancy McKinsey & Co. That’s significantly more than the overall projected economic growth for that period of 4.7%. At the same time, there is a crisis in the healthcare workforce, with pandemic fatigue and an aging …
The fund used to finance Cal/OSHA will increase for the 2022-23 fiscal year, but the assessments charged on top of employers’ workers’ comp premium will go down. Labor Code §§ 62.5 and 62.6 authorize DIR to assess employers for the cost of administering various programs. “These assessments provide a stable funding source to the support …