After many years and a false start in 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board has reintroduced an update to its requirements for employers’ first-aid kits. But, as has been pointed out before, something seemingly simple often can be anything but. That fact was underscored by many at the Board’s January public hearing on the proposal. “We …
Governor Gavin Newsom proposes a 14% decrease for Cal/OSHA’s budget in 2026-27 over the final budget for the current fiscal year. The governor’s budget proposal will be revised in May and renegotiated with the California Legislature. The budget proposal pegs 2025-26 expenditures at $285,210,000 and proposes $244,679,000 for the coming FY. There is a budget …
A proposed ban on the fabrication and installation of engineered stone in California would “punish” compliant employers and push businesses out of California, employer groups and labor representatives tell the Cal/OSHA Standards Board. The silica ban was proposed by the Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) in early December, amid increasing cases of silicosis …
More than eight years after a nurses’ association petitioned the Cal/OSHA Standards Board for protection from the surgical plume, work is beginning to progress. A Division of Occupational Safety and Health-led committee will meet on January 20th via Zoom to discuss a draft proposal. The 2017 petition by the California Nurses Association followed closely the …
As Cal-OSHA Reporter enters its 53rd year of publication, it’s time to look at the stories that shaped the occupational safety and health community during our 52nd year. There were challenges and change, which will reverberate into the new year. Here’s the way we looked in 2025. Cal/OSHA in the Crossfire The California State Auditor …
Amid criminal investigations into the massive and deadly July 1st explosion at an Esparto fireworks storage facility, Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has cited the employer for one regulatory and 13 serious violations. The Division seeks $221,000 in penalties against Devastating Pyrotechnics, which is based in San Francisco. On July 1st, fireworks stored …
In the late 1970s, Fred Walter, fresh out of law school, was working in personal injury defense in Southern California’s maritime industry. He moved to Northern California, where he found himself doing workers’ compensation subrogation work. “It was a step up from collections,” he remembers. “I hated it.” Hated it so much that he was …
Rules intended to preserve procedures particularly peculiar to the professional diving community in California are set to become effective on January 1st, 2026. The revisions modify General Industry Safety Orders §§ 6050, 6051, 6052, 6054, and 6056. This regulatory saga dates back to 2014, when Fed-OSHA informed Standards Board staff that California’s regulations were not …