Stakeholders appear supportive of a Cal/OSHA Standards Board proposal to adopt a new federal rule on the proper fit for construction personal protective equipment (PPE). However, they caution that those enforcing the rule should consider the limitations when trying to obtain the right equipment for some workers. The comments came at a public hearing on …
Among the damage from cuts to, and reorganization of, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) isan issue near and dear to some of California’s wildland firefighters: A respirator for use in fighting the blazes. As Cal-OSHA Reporter reported in January, one of the prototype respirators field-tested in the summer of 2023 is …
A former Cal/OSHA enforcement deputy chief says the emergency cleanup of fire-stricken Los Angeles-area neighborhoods has ignored safety protocols and exposed crews to potentially contaminated debris, including asbestos. State officials, meanwhile, provide a different story. They say strict protocols are in place, and Cal/OSHA has made concerted efforts to raise awareness of the hazards inherent …
California employers have distributed millions of pieces of personal protective equipment; Cal/OSHA has monitored thousands of employees at dairies and poultry farms and conducted inspections at dozens of compliance inspections ostensibly to control the bird flu outbreak, which has hit this state’s animal agricultural industry. Now, a controversy has developed at the Cal/OSHA Standards Board …
The Department of Industrial Relations says it is giving $6 million to nonprofit community-based organizations in the Los Angeles area, to “educate and assist” workers on health and safety issues during the recovery and rebuilding from the recent devastating wildfires. The grants to 21 community-based organizations (CBOs) in the region are part of the California …
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board received no comments, yea or nea, on its proposal to adopt updated Fed-OSHA standards on quantitative fit testing. The quiet public hearing on March 21st means that the proposal is on track for adoption. The Board has scheduled a vote for July 18th. Fed-OSHA adopted the revisions in 2019 and Cal/OSHA …
Homeless people living outdoors in unsanitary conditions could contract and spread contagious diseases such as tuberculosis, typhus, and hepatitis A, but whether sidewalk encampments pose a significant health threat to the public or not is unclear. Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not appear to have ever discussed regulations to protect the …
Although Interline Brands’ San Bernardino facility (now known as Home Depot USA) has provided substantial foot protection for its warehouse workers, it didn’t provide it for all employees. Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, according to an unpublished decision issued by the California Court of Appeal, correctly cited the warehouse for a violation of …