Controversy as Lead Vote Looms

In less than a week, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is set to vote on the long-delayed and highly controversial revisions to the lead standards in Title 8. The February 15th meeting is sure to be long and contentious, with stakeholders making their final case to the Board about why the proposal is irretrievably flawed and … Read More »

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The 4 Billion Lead Debate Controversy

Safety professionals and employer representatives continue to question the assumptions underlying Cal/OSHA’s proposed revisions to its lead standards. At the October meeting of the Standards Board, they pressed the agency to justify the dramatic revisions proposed for both the lead permissible exposure limit and action level. And they again protested what they assert was a … Read More »

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Petition Seeks Construction Hoist Tweak

A Cal/OSHA requirement on construction personnel hoists is hopelessly outdated, so says a large provider of scaffolding services and hoisting equipment. It contends the requirement is hindering its ability to serve clients. BrandSafway, based in Atlanta, Georgia, petitioned the Standards Board to revise Construction Safety Orders §1604.21 to match the latest version of the American … Read More »

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Work to Resume on ‘WWS’ Proposal

The long walk toward updating Cal/OSHA regulations on so-called “walking/working surfaces” continues its journey on October 11th and 12th with a Standards Board advisory committee meeting in Sacramento. In regulatory shorthand, this project is known as WWS. One focus of the discussions will be proposed exceptions by employer interests to the guardrail requirements in General … Read More »

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Harwood Grants Announced

Eight California organizations are among the 100 nationwide awarded Fed-OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grants for 2023. The California grants amount to a total of $886,331, 7% of the national total of approximately $12.7 million. The grants named after the late Dr. Harwood, the former director of Fed-OSHA’s Office of Risk Assessment, who was instrumental in … Read More »

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Lead Proposal Revised – But Enough?

Cal/OSHA has published revisions to its controversial proposal for lead in construction and general industry, and the Standards Board is accepting comments until July 24th. But already a coalition of construction employers tells the Board that the changes don’t come anywhere near addressing its ongoing concerns. Here are the proposed revisions in the 15-day notice: … Read More »

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State Fund Names New Safety VP

State Compensation Insurance Fund has named Kate Craft as senior vice president of safety and health. Craft oversees the workers’ comp insurer’s Loss Prevention team, providing safety services to policyholders. She has been with State Fund since 2018, when she was named regional vice president for its southern region. Craft has more than 20 years … Read More »

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