Under draft language released by Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health to implement recent legislation, employers would have to take extra heat illness prevention steps for some employees when temperatures reach 80ºF, indoors or outdoors. The draft revisions to the heat illness prevention standards, General Industry Safety Orders §§ 3395 and 3396, are intended …
Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has clarified the revised lead standard’s requirements for worker protection during abrasive blasting. It is unclear why the Division issued this guidance. The information is exactly the same as a guidance document already posted on the DOSH website. Cal-OSHA Reporter asked the Department of Industrial Relations the reason …
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, …
Monday, April 28th, is the annual commemoration of Workers’ Memorial Day to “remember and honor the workers who lost their lives on the job,” in the words of the Department of Industrial Relations. Commemorations will be held all over the state. Fortunately, during the past week or so, there were no work-related fatalities in California, …
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has moved quickly to adopt a Fed-OSHA final rule created during the last days of the previous administration. The rule is simple: It requires that personal protective equipment (PPE) is of safe design and construction and properly fits each employee. It is being adopted as a “Horcher” rule, meaning it is …
The Department of Industrial Relations says it is giving $6 million to nonprofit community-based organizations in the Los Angeles area, to “educate and assist” workers on health and safety issues during the recovery and rebuilding from the recent devastating wildfires. The grants to 21 community-based organizations (CBOs) in the region are part of the California …
It’s almost a year late, but the Department of Industrial Relations has submitted its 2023 report to the California Legislature on Cal/OSHA’s activities for that year. Why was it so late? Cal-OSHA Reporter asked DIR the reason, and whether the legislature had granted an extension, but had not received a reply by publication. DIR is …
Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the Department of Industrial Relations will soon release revised draft language to implement new regulations regarding egregious and enterprise-wide violations. A virtual advisory committee will follow that release on March 25th. The committee met in August 2024, and the new draft will reflect changes based on comments …