Occupational health advocates say California should go the Down Under way and ban engineered stone. But industry representatives here say that’s not necessary. Here’s what they think the state should do instead.

Are protections for healthcare workers from surgical plume finally close to being published by Cal/OSHA? And what should the rules contain? An advisory committee will hash out a draft proposal later this month. Here’s what it would require.

Here’s a look back at the occupational safety and health stories from the pages of Cal-OSHA Reporter that shaped 2025 – and will have an impact on 2026.

Here are the California workplace fatalities that closed out 2025.

Two years after Cal/OSHA adopted revisions to its silica standard to help protect workers in the engineered stone fabrication industry, the organization that started the process is petitioning for a ban on fabricating the hazardous substance. Here’s why the group says the time is right to take this step.

More employers get recognition from Cal/OSHA for their efforts to promote safe workplaces. Here are the latest companies to qualify for the agency’s various partnership programs.

While investigators continue to probe a massive blast in Yolo County that took the lives of seven fireworks employees, Cal/OSHA has cited the company involved. Other investigations continue.

Longtime employer defense attorney Fred Walter is calling it a career. Here are his takeaways after 45-years working within the Cal/OSHA system.

Here are the latest fatal workplace incidents from around California in recent weeks.

Is artificial intelligence making its way into the Cal/OSHA appeals system, and what are the implications. Here’s what one longtime attorney observes, and what he wants the Appeals Board to do about it.

How much will employers pay on their workers' comp premiums to help support Cal/OSHA and other programs? Click here to learn the 2025-26 assessments.

Among the hundreds of recent settlements of Cal/OSHA citation cases are several big, significant cases, and one small but notable case. Learn what they are all about.

Here are the latest workplace fatalities from around California in recent weeks. An amazing percentage are too small to generate an experience modification rating.

The Office of Administrative Law has approved a long-running quest to keep California-specific professional diving rules intact. See how these new OSHA regulations work and learn what Hookah diving is in this week’s Cal-OSHA Reporter.

It took nearly 20 years after stakeholders began petitioning Cal/OSHA for reforms to its requirements for first-aid kits. Finally, the changes have been published – for the second time. Will this version stick? Learn the new requirements in this week’s premium edition of Cal-OSHA Reporter. Subscribers can click here …

After more than 10 years of effort and several tries, confined space rules for construction have received their final “clean-up.” Click here to see what the changes are and when they become effective.

Six years after an oil industry group sued Cal/OSHA over its Process Safety Management reforms, the Standards Board has published its revisions in an effort to settle. An insider exclusively reveals the story of what was really behind all the folderol in the first place. It’s quite the inside story.

Almost two years ago, Australia banned engineered stone after attempts to get a handle on a silicosis crisis failed. Is California marching down the same path? And what happens in the meantime?

A Cal/OSHA advisory committee has been working to find a way forward on the use of autonomous equipment in agriculture. Here’s what the Standards Board staff has recommended, along with arguments for and against.

Surface mining can be extremely hazardous. These individuals and organizations have been recognized by the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association for their efforts to make their workplaces safe.

Here are the latest workplace fatalities from around California.

The federal government says California has not complied with all its requirements for commercial driver’s licenses and is demanding full compliance. But does a recent federal court ruling put this action on hold?

Cal/OSHA has been working on a general industry workplace violence regulation for years. While legislation has established basic requirements the fights continue. Here's the latest on the Cal/OSHA effort.

The latest Cal/OSHA inspection statistics show some divergent trends. Click here to see what’s happening and the possible reasons why.

Here are the latest California fatal workplace incidents.

Cal/OSHA has completed investigations into workplace fatalities from earlier this year. Here is the action it has taken on several cases.

Employer efforts to create effective Injury and Illness Prevention Programs bring Cal/OSHA recognition. Here are the latest employers participating in the Golden Gate Partnership Program.

Here are some of the most noteworthy recent settlements between Cal/OSHA and employers in fatality and injury cases.

The latest workplace fatalities in California include two falls and the death of a worker from an encounter with a robotic machine.

Heavy construction equipment is powerful but hazardous. Here’s how the Operating Engineers union in Northern California trains its apprentices for careers operating cranes, running bulldozers, and other vital construction activities, with an emphasis on safety.

The California Industrial Hygiene Council is seeking a change to the airborne contaminants standard to clarify what constitutes “competency” when it comes to workplace monitoring. What changes are they seeking and why? Find out in this week’s Cal-OSHA Reporter.

Here are the latest workplace fatalities from around California in recent weeks.

Artificial intelligence "is all we talk about," says NIOSH Director and former Cal/OSHA Chief Dr. John Howard. Here's what he thinks the future holds for this technology, and how safety professionals need to fit in.

It's been several months since the California State Auditor published a critical report on Cal/OSHA Enforcement's operations. Here's how the agency is responding to its recommendations.

Remembering Bernie Osburn, a longtime staff member at the Cal/OSHA Standards Board.