It’s been a mild spring so far, even chilly in some parts of California, but the heat is starting to make itself felt. Temperatures this week were in the low 90s in parts of the Central Valley, with 80s in the Bay Area and somewhat cooler temps in Southern California. Heat waves are not far …
Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has cited dozens of employers in fatality cases from the latter half of 2024. Included is what could be the first issuance of serious violations under the new indoor heat illness prevention standard (General Industry Safety Orders §3396) in a fatality case. Here are the results: Point Green …
After several months, the Department of Industrial Relations announced the 2025 schedule for the Cal/OSHA Advisory Committee. The committee’s purpose is to “promote and improve occupational health and safety conditions and public safety in California.” Stakeholders provide ideas, information, advice, and assistance to DIR and Cal/OSHA. The committee will meet on May 22nd, August 28th, …
Under a proposal by the Cal/OSHA Standards Board, the term “technical diving” will be eliminated, but procedures under that concept, which divers in California say are crucial to safety, will be preserved. Fed-OSHA has approved the changes. Thus ends a regulatory saga that began more than 10 years ago when the Board moved to adopt …
Among the hundreds of settlements to Cal/OSHA cases approved by the Appeals Board in March are two involving fatalities and serious injuries that had hundreds of thousands of dollars in proposed penalties at stake. Here’s how those, and other significant cases, settled out. Alhambra Foundry, a metalworks and fabrication company, has agreed to pay $147,350 …
Debra Lee, a 30-plus-year employee of Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, has been confirmed as its Chief. The California Senate Rules Committee approved her 5-0, and the full Senate followed up with a 33-0 vote. “I joined Cal/OSHA as an industrial hygienist back in 1994, wanting to be an agent of change,” she …