There are four new workplace fatalities under investigation, one of them from COVID. The COVID case involves an employee of Porter Rents, Inc., in Newark, Alameda County. For perspective, there have been dozens of murders in Alameda County this year so far. In Canyon Country, Los Angeles County, an employee of Tal Construction was killed …
Fed-OSHA has issued what amounts to a mid-term report card on Cal/OSHA, giving it a pass on items it found in 2019 in light of its efforts to respond to the COVID pandemic in 2020. Cal/OSHA Chief Doug Parker has essentially taken leave as a new parent and leave to deal with his nomination to …
There are 15 new workplace fatalities under investigation in recent weeks. One is reported as being from COVID. Many of the fatalities are classified as “unknown” at present. Two of the deaths are from falls. In Elk Grove, an employee of an as-yet unidentified employer fell while performing tree trimming when a branch broke. In …
Employers cited by Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health have so far paid less than 50 cents on the dollar for COVID-related Injury and Illness Prevention Program violations in settlements. The 39 settlements reached at the time of this writing in COVID cases represent 17% of the 230 cases brought by DOSH so far. …
Fed-OSHA is taking applications for more than $21 million in training grants, including the traditional Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, and a new program intended for infectious disease education. The Harwood grants will total almost $12 million and California organizations typically receive at least 10% of those grants. This year’s grants include targeted topics, training …
Three significant occupational safety and health bills are moving forward in the California legislature. The most significant of them – SB 606 – has been amended again. The bill by Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) was previously approved by the state Senate and is in the Assembly, where it recently passed the Labor and Employment …
There are 14 new reported workplace fatalities. None of them are related to the COVID pandemic. The new incidents include four fatal falls; four cases of harmful exposure, one massive explosion; two struck-bys, one crushing, one vehicle encounter, and two deaths from unknown causes. The explosion was in Lemoore, where an employee of contractor J.R. …
A Cal/OSHA Standards Board subcommittee will start discussions on further revisions to the COVID Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) – even a repeal – and it will be a public process. Those on the employer side are advocating for freedom and an “end date” from to the controversial and burdensome regulation, while labor seeks restoration of …