Cal/OSHA Compliance Advisor helps safety professionals, business owners, and managers comply with California and federal safety regulations, keep workers safe, lower their
workers' comp costs, and avoid safety-related
fines and lawsuits.

» Learn More

Electrical safety: Don't be shocked! Identify counterfeit electrical products June 2013 What are the most frequently counterfeited products in the world? Rolex watches? Louis Vuitton wallets? Try Viagra. . . . more » Featured resource: Strengthening your safety culture How's your safety culture--what your organization thinks and practices with respect to safety? June 2013 Organizations with a strong safety culture tend to experience low levels of risky behavior and low accident rates, turnover, and absenteeism as well as high productivity. . . . more » Cal/OSHA's Consultation Service provides free compliance assistance for California employers May 2013 Under most circumstances, you wouldn't want Cal/OSHA showing up at your door. But there's one exception you should know about, especially in a time of tight budgets and cutbacks: Cal/OSHA's Consultation Service. . . . more » Featured resource: How to identify amputation hazards in the workplace April 2013 A moment's inattention--and a hand is caught in machinery. A single misstep; a foot slips in. . . . more » Featured resource: How to identify confined spaces and control their hazards March 2013 After seven California workers died in confined spaces in 2011, Cal/OSHA initiated a statewide Confined Space Special Emphasis Initiative. Much of the state's effort focused on the need to raise awareness of what confined spaces and their hazards are. You can use this checklist to determine whether you have any permit-required confined spaces covered by the initiative in your facility. If so, make sure your workers take appropriate precautions. . . . more » More

Online Exclusive: Sample guns-at-work policy COCA Online Exclusive June 2013 The presence of guns increases the possibility of gun violence--so say studies that have examined gun ownership among homeowners, as well as studies examining the availability of guns in the workplace. . . . more » PHMSA boosts penalties for knowing violations June 2013 The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued a new rule revising the maximum and minimum civil penalties for knowing violations of the federal hazardous materials tran . . . more » NIOSH provides guidance on weight limits for maternal lifting June 2013 Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently teamed up with the U.S. Department of Defense to evaluate the scientific evidence linking occupational lifting . . . more » Workplace violence: Guns-at-work policies and California law; What you need to know June 2013 In the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings and other workplace shootings, employers are not waiting for the federal government to act to prevent gun violence. Many are instituting new policies about weapons in the workplace. . . . more » Appeals Board decisions: Was the general contractor the controlling employer? OSHAB reconsiders June 2013 Harris Construction Company was the general contractor for a project at Madera Community College in Madera in the summer of 2003 and subcontracted with Champion Industrial Construction to perform pipe fitting work. When a Champion employee was injured, Harris was cited as a controlling employer under California's multi-employer workplace standard. . . . more » Safety management: At the intersection of GMP, product safety, and workplace safety; Cross-disciplinary safety programs June 2013 In 2008 and 2009, an epidemic of foodborne salmonella infections sickened more than 700 people in 46 states, killing nine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traced the epidemic to contaminated peanut butter the victims ate, and from there to a peanut roasting facility in Blakely, Georgia, run by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). The facility's problems posed a hazard not only to consumers but also to workers. . . . more » Workers' compensation: DWC issues updated guidebook on workers' comp changes for injured workers June 2013 California's Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) is still working through the implementation phase for the new legislation that Governor Brown signed in September 2012. Many of the law's major provisions for overhauling the state workers' comp system took effect on January 1; the remaining provisions are being implemented in stages through January 1, 2014. . . . more » Trainer's handbook: Telltale signs of toluene toxicity; Talk to workers about it June 2013 Toluene is an extremely useful chemical: It dissolves other substances easily and evaporates quickly, making it a terrific base for ink and nail polish, as well as a good paint stripper and metal cleaner. Its toxicity is low compared to other solvents--in contrast to ammonia or methylene chloride, it is unlikely to kill you on the spot. . . . more » Electrical safety: Don't be shocked! Identify counterfeit electrical products June 2013 What are the most frequently counterfeited products in the world? Rolex watches? Louis Vuitton wallets? Try Viagra. . . . more » Featured resource: Strengthening your safety culture How's your safety culture--what your organization thinks and practices with respect to safety? June 2013 Organizations with a strong safety culture tend to experience low levels of risky behavior and low accident rates, turnover, and absenteeism as well as high productivity. . . . more » Cal/OSHA Compliance For Supervisors - June 2013 Issue In This Issue: Tips for battling worker fatigue; Tech ergonomics: Preventing injuries from laptops, tablets, and smartphones; 3 simple steps for preventing deadly falls; Do's and don'ts for confined spaces emergencies . . . more » Online exclusive: Checklist for dealing with workplace power interruptions COCA Online Exclusive May 2013 Do you have a plan for when the power goes out unexpectedly? You should. . . . more » Los Angeles tops EPA list of Energy Star cities May 2013 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its annual ranking of the cities with the most Energy Star-certified buildings, and Los Angeles took the top spot for the fifth consecutive year. . . . more » New apps can help control employees' distracted driving May 2013 AT&T has released two apps intended to reduce dangerous driving behaviors on the job. The Associate PLEDGE® app lets employers conduct real-time monitoring and helps enforce distracted driv . . . more » Hazard abatement: What are you waiting for? Easy, affordable fixes for common hazards May 2013 Some fixes are easy--forbidding minors to operate forklifts and slicing machinery brings you into compliance with applicable laws with a simple stroke of the pen (as well as a few stern words to workers, perhaps). . . . more » Standards update: Crane, pull saw, and head protection rules have changed May 2013 The state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) updated three workplace safety regulations in the first quarter of 2013. . . . more » Laboratories: Fed/OSHA revises guidance; 6 general principles of laboratory safety May 2013 Laboratories present unique chemical safety concerns. As a result, lab workers may be at higher risk for chemical illnesses and injuries than workers in other professions. This is why chemical use in laboratories is subject to its own set of chemical safety regulations. . . . more » Hazardous chemicals: Study links lead and cadmium to hearing loss; Identify and control exposures May 2013 You know, of course, that heavy metal can damage your hearing. Too much Black Sabbath and AC/DC at a high volume will cause hearing loss sooner rather than later. . . . more » Appeals Board decisions: Fire department fails to report 2 serious injuries; Rules for first responders May 2013 On November 8, 2010, a worker arrived at Pinnacle Exhibits in Irvine feeling ill. The Orange County Fire Department (OCFD) was called to the worksite, treated the worker for a heart attack, and transported him to a hospital. . . . more » Trainer's handbook: Teach workers to identify and investigate near misses May 2013 In February 2013, a meteorite crashed spectacularly into the Ural Mountains in Russia, shattering windows and injuring more than 1,000 people. That same week, an asteroid the size of a swimming pool passed by the Earth, close enough to make owners of weather satellites extremely nervous. . . . more » Cal/OSHA's Consultation Service provides free compliance assistance for California employers May 2013 Under most circumstances, you wouldn't want Cal/OSHA showing up at your door. But there's one exception you should know about, especially in a time of tight budgets and cutbacks: Cal/OSHA's Consultation Service. . . . more » Online exclusive: Does your fleet safety program cover the essentials? April 2013 Transportation incidents have been the leading cause of work-related fatalities for many years. They're also a source of significant liability exposure, and even fender-benders (crashes involving only property damage, with no injuries) can be costly. . . . more » Poll finds engaged employees are healthier employees April 2013 A recent Gallup poll found that U.S. workers who are engaged in their work and workplace are more likely to report a healthier lifestyle than their counterparts who are not engaged or who are actively . . . more » Cal/OSHA updates sample IIPPs April 2013 Cal/OSHA has issued two updated sample Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (IIPPs) for high-hazard employers and non-high-hazard employers. The agency provides sev . . . more » Appeals Board decisions: Employer obtains penalty relief from serious/willful violations; Find out how April 2013 On December 14, 2010, workers for TL Pavlich Construction were installing a 30-inch-diameter water pipe 12 feet underground at a worksite in Montebello (in Los Angeles County). The site was contaminated by abandoned oil and gas wells nearby. . . . more » Enforcement: Manager who ordered safety device removed from tractor gets jail time; When will California prosecute? April 2013 On January 22, 2011, 37-year-old Jose Ambriz-Luquin was finishing his shift at Vino Farms in Santa Rosa and preparing to shut his tractor down for the night. As he climbed down from the tractor, his clothing got caught, unintentionally shifting the tractor into gear. . . . more » Citations: Chevron receives highest proposed fine in Cal/OSHA history April 2013 On August 6, 2012, a severely corroded pipe in the #4 crude unit at the Chevron refinery in Richmond began leaking hydrocarbon gas. . . . more » Fleet safety: Backover incident claims worker's life; Prevention advice from OSHA April 2013 On January 8, Xiaobon Cheng was at work at Keeco, LLC, a textile manufacturer in Hayward, when he was caught between a loading dock and a semi that was backing into the dock. The 56-year-old Cheng suffered fatal head injuries. . . . more » Hazardous chemicals: Tiny objects, big hazards; Highlights from OSHA's new fact sheet on nanomaterials April 2013 There's a lot of excitement in the world of nanotechnology right now. For example, a study published on February 5, 2013, in the journal Clinical Cancer Research demonstrated that silicon nanoparticles used as a drug delivery system dramatically reduced the size of ovarian tumors in animals and stopped tumor growth in chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer tissue. . . . more » Hazard identification: Will that be red or white with your safety program? Washington publishes resource for wineries April 2013 California is a great place to grow grapes. And the local economy shows it--according to California's Wine Institute, the state's wine industry contributes $61 billion to California's economy, and its 3,500 wineries make the state the world's fourth leading wine producer, after France, Italy, and Spain. . . . more » More

Featured Resource: This Is a Fire Drill … Checklist April 2012 When was your last fire or emergency evacuation drill? If more than six months ago, it's time to think about staging another. Careful planning and evaluation can help you get the most out of your drills. Use our checklist to help with both. . . . more » Compliance Checklist: Lockout/Tagout COCA Online Exclusive Employers whose lockout/tagout programs are incomplete risk serious injuries to workers, and steep fines from DOSH. Use this checklist to make sure that the basic elements of your lockout/tagout program are in place. . . . more » Infection Control Checklist Updated November 2010 Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are becoming increasingly common. In part, this is due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which tends to breed resistant strains. Another factor is the spread of these organisms from the immunocompromised populations where they first . . . more » Sign up for a trial and access more articles like these