Should Re-Roofing Be Included in New Residential Construction Fall Rules?

Steve Johnson, safety director for a Northern California roofing association, recently announced to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board that he intended to submit a petition to clean up language related to the recent revisions on fall protection in residential construction. However, the petition is being shelved in favor of advisory talks, likely next year. Fed-OSHA demanded … Read More »

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California’s Share of Harwood Grants

Eight California employer and worker nonprofit organizations will share about $874,000 of the $12.7 million in Fed-OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grants for 2024. The California share represents 7% of the national total. Nationwide, 102 organizations will receive grants for training and education on hazard awareness, avoidance and controls, and rights and responsibilities. The longtime program … Read More »

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Permanent Silica Proposal Revised

In response to requests from industry stakeholders, industrial hygienists, and Fed-OSHA, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board has revised the proposed permanent version of its silica reforms aimed at engineered stone shops. Comments on the 15-Day Notice of Proposed Modifications are due by late September. The revisions address concerns from the tile industry worried it could be … Read More »

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Fed-OSHA Grades Cal/OSHA

The Feds were generally complimentary toward the California state plan in its Federal Annual Monitoring and Evaluation (FAME) report. However, there were several new “findings and observations” in the evaluation covering October 1st, 2022, through September 30th, 2023. Cal/OSHA’s continuing hiring challenge plays a leading role in Fed-OSHA’s fiscal year 2023 concerns—other criticisms centered on … Read More »

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Concerns Over Fed-OSHA Emergency Response Proposal

A Fed-OSHA initiative to revise an almost 45-year-old standard concerning emergency response is raising questions about whether the proposal goes too far and whether it fails to consider potential unintended consequences and costs. The Feds’ response to these questions matters because Cal/OSHA will eventually have to revise its standards to comply with ‘at least as’ … Read More »

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Fall Protection: Fed-OSHA Ups the Ante

Fed-OSHA and California’s residential construction industry remain at odds over the Feds’ insistence on a strict six-foot trigger height for fall protection. The latest salvos come in response to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board’s recent 15-day notice of modifications to its proposal that would revise the longstanding residential rules. The new Fed-OSHA Oakland area director says … Read More »

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Harwood Grants Available Now

Fed-OSHA has announced the availability of $12.7 million in funding for safety, health, and training education under the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. California organizations received about $886,000 in 2023, 7% of the national total. The program includes grants for: Targeted topics to identify and prevent OSHA-designated workplace hazards. Applicants are required to conduct training … Read More »

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