The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently advised the industry that “more advanced and protective head protection” – safety helmets – should replace traditional hard hats. It recommended they be used across a panoply of industries. Shortly after, the agency announced that it is switching to safety helmets for its inspection force. OSHA is …
Injuries and illness in California workplaces saw a sharp jump in 2022, spurred by a more than doubling of workplace-related respiratory illnesses, especially in the public sector. The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses estimates that cases rose 26% in 2022 overall and 20% in private industry. The increases were led by state and local …
In a follow-up to a 2021 comprehensive evaluation of Cal/OSHA’s performance, Fed-OSHA says California has made progress in several areas, but there is more ground to cover. “The California State Plan made some progress in addressing the seven previous findings and two observations” from the 2021 Federal Annual Monitoring and Evaluation (FAME) report, OSHA says. …
The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered the owner of two restaurants in Sacramento and Roseville to pay $140,000 in back pay and damages to 35 employees after the employer used an unusual and scandalous tactic to determine if they had been stealing. Taqueria Garibaldi brought in a fake priest to“hear confessions” during work hours …
Fed-OSHA is making available almost $13 million in funding for new Susan Harwood Training Grants. California organizations typically receive about 15% of the national grants. The grants include: Targeted topics to identify and prevent OSHA-designated workplace hazards Training and educational materials development for “quality” materials that help identify and prevent hazards; and Capacity-building programs that …
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, along party lines, has advanced the nomination of Julie Su to be the next Secretary of Labor. If confirmed, she will replace Marty Walsh, who recently left the Biden Administration. Su now faces a full vote in the Senate, where her prospects are uncertain. All Republicans …
Fed-OSHA is taking another swing at expanded electronic submission of injury and illness information with proposed revisions to its rules on recordkeeping. A similar proposal was controversial in the past and is likely to be controversial again. But if it is successful, Cal/OSHA will have to follow. Currently, employers with at least 250 employees, and …