Continuous improvement is the watchword of the Voluntary Protection Program. Now Fed-OSHA is looking to improve the national version of the 40-year-old program, and Cal/OSHA could be a leader in the process. The investigative journalist team at ProPublica recently revealed that two former federal-certified VPP plants used asbestos in their East Coast operations and exposed …
Cal/OSHA says its proposal to revise the general industry and construction lead standards is a compromise: The California Department of Public Health recommended even more stringent requirements, which the Division of Occupational Safety and Health found infeasible. DOSH says a combination of decreased exposure and accompanying protections will accomplish the same thing. The Standards Board …
The U.S. Department of Labor and Fed-OSHA have signed a memorandum of understanding allowing OSHA to issue certifications in support of U and T Nonimmigrant Status visas. What are these visas? And what does this mean for workplaces? Both these temporary visas are a product of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of …
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is withdrawing its proposal to revoke final approval of Arizona’s state OSHA plan. ADOSH, as the program is known, has made progress in satisfying the Feds’ concerns, and the program received numerous letters of support during a public comment period on the proposal. Fed-OSHA, back in April 2022, …
Cal/OSHA missed its goal of 5,775 inspections in 2021 by about 10%, Fed-OSHA says in its latest evaluation of the program. Nonetheless, the Feds say the agency made progress toward addressing previous findings and observations, as reflected in the latest Federal Annual Monitoring and Evaluation (FAME) report. The 5,282 inspections Cal/OSHA conducted resulted in some …
Ten California organizations will receive more than $1.7 million in Fed-OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grants in 2022. California’s funding represents 15% of the national total of $11.7 million, granted to 90 organizations. The grants support employee and employer education on hazard recognition, injury prevention, employee rights and employer responsibilities. Cal/OSHA Reporter has provided hyperlinks for …
With the comment period extended on Fed-OSHA’s proposal to revoke Arizona’s state plan status, the Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) has offered its thoughts. It says Arizona’s performance is “troubling,” but stops short of calling for a revocation, at least in the short term. Arizona OSHA says it already has addressed Fed OSHA’s …