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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…

On March 3, 2023, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board published notice of proposed revised regulations pertaining to workplace exposure to lead for the general industry and construction safety orders.

In its Initial Statement of Reasons for the revisions, the Board indicates that the existing requirements are based on lead toxicity information and medical and epidemiological data…

California employers take note: the non-emergency version of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention regulations are now in effect.

At the end of 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to adopt the COVID-19 Prevention non-emergency regulations to replace the Emergency Temporary Standard(ETS).

On February 3, 2023, the California Office of Administrative Law approved the non-emergency standard.

California employers are required to post their annual summary of work-related injuries and illnesses, in a visible and easily accessible area at every worksite from February 1st through April 30th. Cal/OSHA’s Form 300A must be used for this posting.

Employers can find an overview regarding completing both the log (Form 300…

On December 15, 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board held its final meeting of 2022 and adopted the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations. The COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS)will continue to remain in effect while the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) reviews the non-emergency standard.

Once approved by OAL, the non-emergency standard will remain in effect for…

On December 31, 2022, Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) finally sunset. However, the Standards Board has been working to pass a permanent standard to ensure it is in place before the expiration of the ETS. The Board has announced it will be voting on the permanent standard at its upcoming meeting on December 15…