Tagged in: State Government

Controversial Refinery Law Could Jeopardize Safety: Opponents

Perhaps no bill Governor Gavin Newsom signed this year is as controversial as ABX2-1, the legislation created in an extraordinary legislative session. Politicians say it is aimed at preventing gas price spikes. All of this is happening against the backdrop of a substantial tax increase on gasoline. The California Air Resources Board expected to raise … Read More »

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Governor Vetoes One, Signs Four Safety Bills

California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed the most controversial occupational safety and health-related legislation while approving four others. Vetoed is SB 1299 (Dave Cortese, D-Campbell), which would have created a rebuttable presumption that an outdoor heat-related injury in agriculture is work-related for purposes of workers’ compensation, providing the employer is deemed to have violated any … Read More »

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Angry Governor Restructures the Standards Board

Following a defiant March vote on the indoor heat illness standard despite a direction from the Governor’s office to table the matter over last-minute cost concerns, Cal/OSHA Standards Board Chairman Dave Thomas told Cal-OSHA Reporter, “I don’t know if we’re going to be here next month.” It’s taken three months, but the other shoe has … Read More »

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No Cal/OSHA Regs on Homeless Encampments, but Caution Advised

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 … Read More »

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Safety Bills to Governor’s Desk

Three safety-related bills have been passed by the California Legislature and are awaiting action by Governor Gavin Newsom. They include SB 553 on workplace violence, SB 686 on household domestic service and AB 521 women’s toilet facilities on construction sites. SB 553 (Senator Dave Cortese, D-Campbell) would require California employers to develop and implement workplace … Read More »

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Injury and Illness Stats, 2021

California’s workplace injuries and illnesses ticked up slightly in 2021 over the previous year. The I&I rate per 100 full-time equivalent employees also increased slightly. The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses data were released this week by California’s Department of Industrial Relations. The total, 450,500 estimated cases and a rate of 3.6, includes all … Read More »

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San Diego Seeks to Tackle Safety Problems

The City of San Diego incurred more than $40 million in direct costs from injuries and illnesses in 2021. Coupled with indirect costs, the total – some $224 million – exceeds the budgets of two city departments, the city’s independent auditor says in a recent report. San Diego is permissively self-insured, and all occupational injury … Read More »

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