Petition Would Effectively Ban Engineered Stone

The Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA), which in 2023 petitioned the Cal/OSHA Standards Board for an emergency standard to better protect workers in California’s countertop fabrication industry, now says it is time to ban fabricating engineered stone altogether WOEMA has requested “expedited” rulemaking to prohibit “all fabrication and installation tasks,” including cutting, grinding, … Read More »

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Settlements in Cases Big and Small

The Cal/OSHA Appeals Board in November approved settlements totaling hundreds of citations, including several big cases and one small but notable case. The latter is in reference to homeowner Patricia Thomas, whom the Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited in August 2024 after an unlicensed roofing contractor was killed at the Los Angeles home … Read More »

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Employer-Cal/OSHA Settlements

California’s Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board approved hundreds of settlements with employers during October. Here are some of the more noteworthy cases. TDDGUS, Inc.: This San Jose construction company will pay 100% of the $33,600 proposed by Cal/OSHA’s in the wake of a March 2022 fatality. A 31-year-old man was part of a crew … Read More »

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Appeals Board Stakeholder Meeting – January 7th 2026

The Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board is holding a Stakeholders Roundtable Discussion on January 7th in Sacramento. While that date still seems far out, the Board is recommending those wishing to attend make reservations, as seating is limited. The purpose of the roundtable is to discuss ideas for “changing and improving board processes and … Read More »

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Was Cal/OSHA Correct in Citing Uber & Lyft?

After Cal/OSHA cited two rideshare companies in August 2022, as many companies do, they appealed the citations to the Cal/OSHA Appeals Board. San Francisco’s Uber Technologies and Lyft, Inc., argued that Cal/OSHA lacked jurisdiction to issue citations because the drivers who filed the complaints weren’t even employees. The companies also sought to short-circuit the cases … Read More »

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Cal/OSHA’s Identity Question

It has been an article of faith around these parts that “Cal/OSHA” refers to all of the components of the state program, but a recent note from the communications team at the Department of Industrial Relations throws this assumption into question. In a recent Cal-OSHA Reporter article about the adoption of the Confined Spaces in … Read More »

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How Significant Injury Cases Settled Out

The Cal/OSHA Appeals Board recently approved settlements in several significant injury cases, including two cases with repeat violations. Here is how those cases were settled after the employers and Cal/OSHA negotiated. Allied West Paper Corp., Fontana: This manufacturer will pay $59,925 (85%) of a proposed $70,750 resulting from a June 2024, lockout/tagout incident. An employee … Read More »

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