With the death of a 27-year old construction worker last week in a trench collapse in San Diego, California has experienced three such fatalities since June of 2023. Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited two employers in the 2023 cases and is investigating the latest incident. The employee was killed in San Diego’s …
Underground and heavy/civil/highway construction is one of the most hazardous sectors of an already hazardous industry. United Contractors, a statewide trade association representing union-signatory construction companies doing this work, recognizes 17 individuals and companies dedicated to “maintaining and advancing safe working environments.” The Recognizing Excellence, Awareness and Leadership in Safety (R.E.A.L.) awards pay tribute to …
Longtime tree-care professional Jeff Buchanan says brush chippers should have passive “presence-sensing” devices that would automatically stop the machines if an employee gets too close to the branch-chewing rollers. He, in fact, has invented such a device that is being marketed around the country, and he wants Cal/OSHA to require such devices, though not exclusively …
The week of April 15th-19th is being commemorated as National Work Zone Awareness Week, and employers are encouraged to take a break and talk to their employees about struck-by hazards. In California, contact with objects and equipment, synonymous with struck-bys, killed 55 workers in 2022, the latest year of available data. Such incidents include flying …
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 …
Cal/OSHA’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has cited about a dozen employers in fatality cases from the late spring and summer of 2023. Here’s what happened in these cases, DOSH’s subsequent action, and the lessons that can be drawn from these incidents. Northern California Fire Protection Services: A May 16th incident involving a fall …
The November 2023 fire at Martinez’s Marathon Renewables facility that severely burned an employee was the result of excessive temperatures in furnace tubes surfaces, a rupture in one of the tubes, a misaligned bypass valve, and instrumentation and interlocks that appear to have not been functioning correctly. That, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and …
The latest Star site in Cal/OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is part of an international company that “walks the walk” on safety and practices what it calls the Golden Rule when it comes to addressing hazards. Derrick O’Keefe, safety manager for Ontario’s Wieland Metal Services, says VPP certification is “the pinnacle of my safety career.” …