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 …
A multimillion-dollar project to automate Cal/OSHA’s information handling capabilities is about to enter its next stage – construction – officials of the Department of Industrial Relations said at the recent Cal/OSHA Advisory Committee meeting. The committee also heard about the Division’s plans for heat illness education and enforcement, its hiring progress, and updates from several …
The long and winding road to resolving the decades-long issue of how and when autonomous vehicles and equipment can be used in California agriculture gets a kick-start on March 26th. That’s when the Cal/OSHA Standards Board will convene an advisory committee to discuss autonomous tractors. Cal/OSHA says the meeting will be virtual to allow for …
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board denied a petition by a Kansas electrical lineman to require cup holders on aerial devices used in this work. The Board said the request was not only unnecessary but could pose unique hazards. Although the Board doesn’t mention it in its decision, petitioner Landon Dees has an obvious interest in seeing …
Cal/OSHA conducted more inspections during the first half of 2024 than in the comparable periods over the past three years. However, violations alleged by the Division have been down sharply this year – 50% from the half-year totals in 2023. Onsite inspections in the first half of 2024 were below 2023 and 2022 (6% and …
Cal/OSHA is taking its first steps toward adopting new rules that establish “enterprise-wide” and “egregious” violations – and the accompanying penalties. Stakeholders weighed in on the proposed rules earlier this week, although the participation was less than expected. “These regulations have significance,” says Bruce Wick, director of risk management for Housing Contractors of California, addressing …