Tagged in: Standards Board

PSM and the Labor Participation Question

The Cal/OSHA Standards Board’s just-proposed revisions to the Process Safety Management standard for refineries solve a “clarity problem, an ambiguity problem, and a potential preemption problem,” according to Division of Occupational Safety and Health deputy chief Carl Paganelli. And most importantly, he says, it solves a legal problem. The revisions were up at a public … Read More »

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First Take on Cal/OSHA Budget

Governor Gavin Newsom proposes a 14% decrease for Cal/OSHA’s budget in 2026-27 over the final budget for the current fiscal year. The governor’s budget proposal will be revised in May and renegotiated with the California Legislature. The budget proposal pegs 2025-26 expenditures at $285,210,000 and proposes $244,679,000 for the coming FY. There is a budget … Read More »

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Industry Pushes Back on Silica Ban Plan

A proposed ban on the fabrication and installation of engineered stone in California would “punish” compliant employers and push businesses out of California, employer groups and labor representatives tell the Cal/OSHA Standards Board. The silica ban was proposed by the Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA) in early December, amid increasing cases of silicosis … Read More »

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Plume Finally Meets

More than eight years after a nurses’ association petitioned the Cal/OSHA Standards Board for protection from the surgical plume, work is beginning to progress. A Division of Occupational Safety and Health-led committee will meet on January 20th via Zoom to discuss a draft proposal. The 2017 petition by the California Nurses Association followed closely the … Read More »

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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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Final Approval for Confined Spaces Reg

California’s Office of Administrative Law has given final approval to Cal/OSHA’s Confined Spaces in Construction revisions, which the Standards Board adopted in September. The rulemaking package takes effect on January 1st, 2026. The revisions to Construction Safety Orders §§ 1951, 1952, 1953, and General Industry Safety Orders § 5156 have a long history, dating back … Read More »

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