Cal/OSHA Penalty Increases for 2024

Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is increasing penalties for all violations except those classified as serious by 3% in 2024. It says the reason is to keep up with inflation. The good news if it can be called that, is the increase is less than half of 2023’s 7% rise. Since a 2015 … Read More »

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Did California Work Fatalities Rise 9%?

Almost 30% of incidents reported by as workplace-related are incidents that happened at work but were not workplace-related – such as suicides and drug overdoses. The data developed by the Department of Industrial Relations’ research department indicates there were 504 workplace fatalities in California in 2022, a 9% increase over 2021. The data originates from … Read More »

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Fed-OSHA Takes its Own Advice

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently advised the industry that “more advanced and protective head protection” – safety helmets – should replace traditional hard hats. It recommended they be used across a panoply of industries. Shortly after, the agency announced that it is switching to safety helmets for its inspection force. OSHA is … Read More »

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What Fueled the 2022 Rise in California Injuries & Illnesses?

Injuries and illness in California workplaces saw a sharp jump in 2022, spurred by a more than doubling of workplace-related respiratory illnesses, especially in the public sector. The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses estimates that cases rose 26% in 2022 overall and 20% in private industry. The increases were led by state and local … Read More »

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Fed ‘FAME’ Finds Cal/OSHA Progress

In a follow-up to a 2021 comprehensive evaluation of Cal/OSHA’s performance, Fed-OSHA says California has made progress in several areas, but there is more ground to cover. “The California State Plan made some progress in addressing the seven previous findings and two observations” from the 2021 Federal Annual Monitoring and Evaluation (FAME) report, OSHA says. … Read More »

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Restaurant ‘Confessions’ a Federal Case

The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered the owner of two restaurants in Sacramento and Roseville to pay $140,000 in back pay and damages to 35 employees after the employer used an unusual and scandalous tactic to determine if they had been stealing. Taqueria Garibaldi brought in a fake priest to“hear confessions” during work hours … Read More »

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Harwood Grants Open

Fed-OSHA is making available almost $13 million in funding for new Susan Harwood Training Grants. California organizations typically receive about 15% of the national grants. The grants include:  Targeted topics to identify and prevent OSHA-designated workplace hazards  Training and educational materials development for “quality” materials that help identify and prevent hazards; and  Capacity-building programs that … Read More »

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Su Gets Committee Nod

The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, along party lines, has advanced the nomination of Julie Su to be the next Secretary of Labor. If confirmed, she will replace Marty Walsh, who recently left the Biden Administration. Su now faces a full vote in the Senate, where her prospects are uncertain. All Republicans … Read More »

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