Last year, California’s Governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 553, which requires all employers to establish, implement, and maintain an effective Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP). The law takes effect on July 1, 2024. Cal/OSHA is responsible for enforcing the requirements of SB 553, now codified at California Labor Code Section 6401.9.

Last Friday

Cal/OSHA, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, effective January 1, 2024, increased penalties for certain violations to adjust for inflation and ensure consistency with California and federal law.

This annual increase is mandated by a statute enacted by California in 2017, which authorizes increases in certain minimum and maximum civil penalties to ensure

Last week, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved an emergency temporary standard regarding respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The standard will take effect December 29, 2023.

The emergency temporary standard (ETS)comes after the California Department of Public Health issued an alert in November of worker deaths due to silicosis, which is caused by silica dust entering

As the temperatures cool outside, the regulations for indoor heat illness prevention are heating up. Cal/OSHA has been working on a proposed Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard since 2017. In the spring Cal/OSHA Standards Board published a draft standard and announced a public hearing on Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment.

On November 9, 2023

On September 30, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 553, which will require employers to establish, implement, and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP).

The WVPP will require the maintenance of a violent incident log, training on workplace violence hazards, and periodic reviews of the plan. Some controversial provisions from earlier

On July 20, 2023, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved promulgating an Emergency Temporary Standard for Respirable Crystalline Silica (Silica). The Silica ETS will require the fabricated stone industry to protect its employees from silica exposure. According to Cal/OSHA, engineered stone, which is cut to create countertops in home construction, is much cheaper than natural alternatives

As Summer starts to heat up, employers with outdoor worksites should review their Heat Illness Prevention Plan (HIPP) compliance under Cal/OSHA’s outdoor heat illness prevention standard.

Which Employers Are Covered?

The standard applies to any employee working outside. This may include positions that are not solely outside.

Obligations for Covered Employers

Covered employers must

The “cannabis industry” in California is not monolithic but is actually composed of employers in various industries. Agricultural employers cultivate cannabis, manufacturing employers process cannabis and package it, and retail employers sell the cannabis. For all these employers, Cal/OSHA imposes several workplace safety requirements that can pose compliance challenges.

Currently, Cal/OSHA does not have a

Cal/OSHA has been working on a proposed Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard since 2017. Now, nearly 5 years later, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board published a draft standard and announced a public hearing on Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment. This comes after Cal/OSHA had stepped up enforcement of indoor heat hazards despite no