Legislators Hold Cal/OSHA’s Feet to the Fire
Two things became clear during yesterday’s joint legislative hearing in the wake of a state audit questioning Cal/OSHA’s performance: Lawmakers don’t see the agency’s problems as purely a function of …
Tagged in: Cal/OSHA
Feds’ Mid-Term Grades on Cal/OSHA
Fed-OSHA monitors Cal/OSHA (and all state plans) on how well their program is adhering to and meeting federal metrics on a two-year, biennial evaluation cycle. Since 2023, the Federal Annual Monitoring and Evaluation (FAME) report shows Cal/OSHA is improving. Among other things, the agency has improved its vacancy rate since the 2023 evaluation. And while …
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Valley Fever Cases Breaking Records
Wet winters following drought conditions, followed by dry and windy summers, are causing a spike in cases of Coccidioidomycosis, the potentially deadly fungal infection commonly known as Valley fever. Cal/OSHA offers workplace safety ideas, and a quick review of its experience in the Appeals Board with related cases has been mixed. The California Department of …
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Is Fall Protection Phase 2 Controversial?
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Decade-Long Fatality Case Concludes
A fatality case that began with the incident in January 2016 has come to an end with a lawsuit dismissal in Sacramento County Superior Court. United Parcel Service challenged a Cal/OSHA Appeals Board Decision After Reconsideration in 2019, but this spring the two sides agreed to end the case. The package delivery giant had filed …
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Final Cal/OSHA Budget
Cal/OSHA, including the Enforcement Branch, the Consultation Service, and the Appeals and Standards Boards, will receive slight increases in the approved 2025-26 budget from what the governor proposed in May. The budget was finalized and signed into law at the end of June. The state Department of Finance recently released the details. The Cal/OSHA program …
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Carson Employer Investigation
More than two years ago, Cal/OSHA cited Parter Medical Products in Carson for 18 alleged violations, including six willful-serious charges, with proposed penalties exceeding $800,000. Now, a team of investigators from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office served and executed a search warrant at Parter, in connection with an investigation into harmful exposures of …
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State Audit Hits Cal/OSHA
A review of Cal/OSHA enforcement by the California State Auditor (CSA) cites continuing staffing shortages and “lax management of its policies and procedures” – and sometimes the P&Ps themselves – for several deficiencies it identified after inspecting selected case files. Audits of state agencies are a more/less routine function of the CSA. The audit was …
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