The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has named Heidi Gotlieb legal counsel, COR has learned. Gotlieb moves to the board from the Office of the Director (OD) of the Department of Industrial Relations, where she served as counsel for the OD Legal unit. Gotlieb specializes in labor employment law.
Despite the optimistic projections of one of the principal players in the battle over “clarifying” the definition of industrial hygienist (IH) in workplace air-monitoring regulations, the impasse between IHs and certified safety professionals (CSPs) may not be resolved. The California Industrial Hygiene Council (CIHC) has been trying, since 1996, to persuade the Standards Board to …
Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses were up slightly for California’s private industry in 1997, bucking a national trend but reflecting the state’s robust economy. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Cal/OSHA’s Division of Labor Statistics and Research (DLSR), industry in this state recorded 670,500 recordable injury and illness cases, up from …
Serious accidents involving camera cranes have, within the last two years, killed one cinematographer and injured three others. Prompted by those accidents, as well as the death of Brent Hershman, an assistant camera operator, International Photographer, the film and video techniques magazine, instituted a safety column in 1998. Titled “Brent’s Rule,” it is written by …
Spikes Up Productions, Inc., of Burbank, which employed the crew in which Matthew Gordy worked when his fatal accident occurred, was cited by Cal/OSHA for one serious and three general violations of Title 8 safety orders. Spikes Up is a unit of Walt Disney Co. Proposed penalties totaled $5,405. The serious citation charged that Spikes …
A series of indoor air quality courses will be offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with the University of Tulsa, starting Jan. 22 in San Francisco. “IAQ Tools for Schools” will provide school personnel with information and a course-of-action plan to help staff respond to Indoor Air Quality inquiries, report problems and notify school …
Moving deliberately to fill his cabinet, Governor-Elect Gray Davis named former California State Employees Association lobbyist Steve Smith as director of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) last week. Smith, 44, was also political director for the state Democratic Party and served since 1997 on Davis’ staff in the lieutenant governor’s office. After Davis was …
Standards Board Chairman Jere Ingram announced at the Dec. 17 meeting that board member James Smith has resigned, citing pressing business-related issues. “Jim has been an asset to this organization during his tenure as a board member,” Ingram said. “His insight and experience, particularly with respect to economics, has been extremely valuable.” Smith is a …