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Feature Articles

Articles from current issue of the Cal/OSHA Compliance Advisor monthly newsletter are listed below.

Click on any headline below to find the full article. And be sure to click the "More Headlines" link at the bottom of the page to read articles you may have missed.

Fleet Safety: Employer Can Be Liable for Employee's Accident While Commuting; Don't Get Blindsided
September 2010
Maintaining a fleet of company-owned vehicles can create a headache for employers that must maintain the vehicles and provide training and oversight to the workers who use them. Employers whose workers don't often drive as part of their jobs may find it appealing to eliminate company-owned vehicles entirely and simply reimburse workers for mileage when they use their personal vehicles for their jobs. However, as a recent court case demonstrates, that option also has risks. . . . more »

Ergonomics: Back Injuries Cost California Farms More Than $22 Million Each Year; Prevent These Costly Injuries
September 2010
Life on the farm can mean back-breaking work for the workers who spend their days in the fields. Carrying heavy weights such as tools and produce, they work bent over, kneeling, reaching over plants, and twisting their wrists as they apply force. . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: It's a Gas! Protect Workers from Fumigation Hazards
September 2010
Fumigation is a method of controlling pests by using airborne pesticides. The pests can include insects on crops, termites and bedbugs inside buildings, and pests in other enclosed spaces such as ships and railcars. . . . more »

Air Contaminants: Controlling Crystalline Silica Hazards in Mining; How to Reduce the Risk of Incurable Lung Disease
September 2010
The total amount of mineral aggregates--sand, gravel, and crushed stone--used in the state each year works out to as much as seven tons for every Californian, according to the California Construction and Industrial Minerals Association. . . . more »

Hazardous Chemicals: Cal/OSHA Updates Permissible Exposure Limits; Part II: Previously Unregulated Chemicals
September 2010
In December, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board completed the most recent update of Cal/OSHA's permissible exposure limits (PELs)--something it does approximately once every three years (the last revision took effect in 2006). In last month's issue of COCA, we covered the eight revised PELs that went into effect on Aug. 3, 2010. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: One Worker's Carelessness Causes Amputation of Another Worker's Leg; Employer Gets the Blame
September 2010
On Oct. 24, 2007, Mariano Valenzuela was cleaning floors in the receiving area at the E & J Gallo Winery in Modesto. He emptied the trash he collected into a 24-inch screw auger that was set into the floor and covered by a 30-inch-long, eight-inch-wide grate. . . . more »

Featured Resource: Floor and Wall Openings and Holes: An Inspection Checklist
September 2010
Under Sections 3211 and 3212 of the General Industry Safety Orders and Section 1632 of the Construction Safety Orders, workers must be protected against openings and holes in floors and walls that could pose a danger. To identify and fix these hazards in your workplace, use our inspection checklist: . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Employer's Hearing Protection Program Had Hits and Misses; Tips to Make Sure Your Program Provides Full Coverage
August 2010
After receiving an employee complaint about noise issues, Cal/OSHA inspected three "chill plants"--large warehouses for machinery that controls heating and cooling--at San Diego State University (SDSU) in August 2007. The inspection included the main chill plant, the business administration chill plant, and the athletics chill plant. . . . more »

Hazardous Chemicals: Cal/OSHA Updates Permissible Exposure Limits; Part I: Revised Limits
August 2010
In December, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board completed the most recent update of Cal/OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), something it does approximately once every three years (the last revision took effect in 2006). New or revised PELs for 13 chemicals go into effect on Aug. 3, 2010. . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: 'Green' Dry Cleaning Comes with Risks to Workers; How to Avoid Ergonomic, Chemical, and Burn Hazards
August 2010
It has been a tough summer for dry cleaners. In July, the next stage of California's environmentally motivated phase-out of perchloroethylene (PERC), a chemical used extensively by dry cleaners, went into effect. Dry cleaners must retire PERC-based machines once they reach the age of 15 years, and PERC use must be entirely phased out by 2023. . . . more »

Hazard Identification: Food for Thought; Food Production Facilities Find Themselves on High Hazard Industries List
August 2010
Although both working conditions and sanitation have improved since the days when Upton Sinclair detailed the horrors of Chicago's meatpacking industry in his 1906 novel The Jungle, food processing and manufacturing facilities still pose serious hazards to workers . . . more »

Return-to-Work Programs: How Soon Is 'Too Soon' After Concussions and Heat Illness?
August 2010
When a worker is injured, it is vital to get him or her back on the job as soon as possible. A prompt return holds down your "Days Away and Restricted work and job Transfer" (DART) rate, minimizes the impact on your workers' compensation experience modification (ex-mod) ratings, and reduces the chance of a long-term or permanent disability claim. . . . more »

Best Practices: That's Entertainment? Addressing Common Hazards In the Entertainment Industry
August 2010
There was no audience in the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theater in Las Vegas on May 20, 2009; Tom Jones had recently finished his run. Stagehands were tearing down his set, some of them balancing precariously on a catwalk as they clipped their safety harnesses onto a horizontal lifeline and then crossed a 33-inch gap above a false ceiling on a narrow rigging plank with no guardrails. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Wastewater Treatment Facility's Pool Tablet 'Bump Test' Fails Good Engineering Practice Test; Manufacturer's Recommendations Matter
July 2010
The Padre Dam Municipal Water District operates a wastewater treatment plant in the San Diego County city of Santee that is equipped with a one-ton chlorine tank and a one-ton sulfur dioxide tank. In January 2009, a Cal/OSHA compliance officer (CO) inspected the plant and cited the employer for not complying with requirements of the process safety management standard. . . . more »

Recordkeeping: Design a Safety Incentive Program to Encourage Safety Without Discouraging Honesty
July 2010
In November 2009, the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the accuracy--or, more precisely, the inaccuracy--of federal OSHA's injury and illness statistics. . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: Verifying Electrical Lockout/Tagout; Essential Tools And Procedures for Non-Electricians
July 2010
Here's a pop quiz: Who is in greater danger from electricity in the workplace, electricians or non-electricians? An analysis of electrocution deaths over a 10-year period by the Maryland-based Center for Construction Research and Training found that non-electricians were electrocuted at more than double the rate of electricians. . . . more »

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