This week has seen the annual national Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, where crews at worksites take a break from their everyday chores to reinforce the importance of fall protection. Falls are continually one of the biggest sources of serious injuries and fatalities. California sees its share of falls, and there have been …
Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations has published its 2024 annual report, bringing the Bureau up to date on public release of its legislatively mandated annual reports. The report is over a year late. More reporting is due. The 2025 report was to have been submitted by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health to the Department …
The six-month clock is ticking down on the Cal/OSHA Standards Board. Time is running out, as the Board approaches its decision on whether to ban the fabrication of engineered stone in California. The rulemaking body is getting pressure from all sides. Attorneys appeared at the recent Board meeting in Santa Rosa on behalf of clients …
The six-foot fall protection trigger is firmly in place for California’s residential construction. But industry advocates have one more shot at getting what they see as better alternatives for framing work. The Housing Contractors of California (HCA), California Framing Association, Residential Contractors Association, and Western States Regional Council of Carpenters petitioned the Standards Board last …
In charging seven individuals, including five for murder, in the July 1st, 2025, fire, then explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Esparto, Yolo County, a grand jury handed down an indictment that alleges a sprawling conspiracy. It has ended the careers of a county sheriff’s lieutenant and his wife, who was also employed by the …
Thus sayeth the Bard to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board: Get thee to a regulation! California’s date growers have been using modern safety techniques for date palms since the early part of this century, but only through Cal/OSHA variances. There have been discussions in recent years about a formal standard recognizing the practice, but so far, …
Responding to critical comments from the Orange County District Attorney about a letter sent from the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to seven county prosecutors seeking help in fighting the silicosis outbreak, Board chair Joseph Alioto, Jr., says the request is not about seeking jail time for employers, but bringing “accountability.” The February letter, penned by Alioto …
The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has written to district attorneys in the seven counties with the vast majority of silicosis cases, asking them to join Cal/OSHA “in a unified fight” to stop the disease, caused by exposure to workers who “cut, grind and polish stone countertops.” The request was sent to the D.A.s in Los Angeles, …