Several bills of interest to California’s occupational safety and health community have been approved by their houses of origin and are now being considered by the other chamber. The most significant legislation is AB 3043 by Assemblyman Luz Rivas (D-Arleta), which would prohibit the use of dry methods in fabricating engineered stone in order to …
New laws that became effective January 1st have restricted workplace inquiries about testing for cannabis use. However, employers can still check employees and potential hires through exemptions to the rules and new testing technologies. Under SB 700, employers are prohibited from asking job applicants about past cannabis use, but there are exceptions for jobs involving …
As the Cal/OSHA Standards Board prepares to finalize regulations to protect indoor workers from heat illness, a state legislator is focusing on requiring outdoor workers to be trained on the existing outdoor regulations. It is becoming more common for the legislature to impose itself on what has appropriately been the purview of the Cal/OSHA Standards …
As Cal/OSHA works to address a growing number of workplace silicosis cases, a newly proposed California Assembly bill aims to up the ante for engineered stone fabricators. AB 3043 by Assemblyman Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley) would establish a statewide licensing program for fabrication shops, require workers to undergo training, prohibit the dry-cutting of engineered …
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the only remaining occupational safety and health bill left this legislative season – AB 521 by Assemblyman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). The bill requires the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to draft potential rulemaking requiring at least one single-user toilet facility on all construction sites designated for “employees who self-identify as female or …
Three safety-related bills have been passed by the California Legislature and are awaiting action by Governor Gavin Newsom. They include SB 553 on workplace violence, SB 686 on household domestic service and AB 521 women’s toilet facilities on construction sites. SB 553 (Senator Dave Cortese, D-Campbell) would require California employers to develop and implement workplace …
The two major bills related to occupational safety and health for this legislative season have passed crucial tests in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and are before the full chamber. If they pass the Assembly, as expected, they will go back to the Senate for reconciliation and final approval, then on to the governor’s desk. Perhaps …