General Safety


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General Safety

Subtopics:

Accidents and Accident Investigation
Cal/OSHA
Federal OSHA
Legislation
Risk Management
Safety & Health
Security
Shift Work
Training
Workers' Compensation
Youth Workers

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Featured Resource: Visitor Safety Checklist
January 2012
How many nonemployees are on your worksite at any given moment? Do you know where they are, what their business is, and whether they pose a risk to your workers or themselves? . . . more »

Multi-Employer Worksites: Appellate Court Says Cal/OSHA Need Not Show Controlling Employers Could Have Abated Violations; What You Need to Know
December 2011
In 2003, Harris Construction was the general contractor on a project at Madera Community College in Madera. Jeff Gilkison was an apprentice pipefitter for Champion Industrial Contractors, Harris's subcontractor on the project. . . . more »

Legislation: Governor Signs Occupational Safety-Related Laws; New Requirements For Safe Patient Handling, Body Artists, and Pipelines
December 2011
The Legislature had a busy session in 2011, and Gov. Jerry Brown signed a flurry of bills into law this fall--including three that will affect occupational safety and health in California. We'll provide an overview of those laws. . . . more »

Standards Update: Cal/OSHA Adopts Updates to Ship Building Rules and First Aid for Electrical Workers
December 2011
Cal/OSHA recently adopted two federal rules that bring its regulations into line with new and existing federal rules. Both rules were "Horcher adoptions," meaning that the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has made only editorial and format changes necessary to conform the federal standards to California's other state laws and standards. . . . more »

Injuries and Illnesses: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Reveals Top Five Causes of Work-Related Death; How to Control the Risks to Your Workers
November 2011
Fatal Occupational Injuries data for 2010, a year in which 302 California workers died on the job. The figures reveal which industries and job tasks were the most deadly for workers last year and which categories of workers (by age, race, and gender) were most likely to die at work. We'll fill you in on the five most common causes of fatal injury and how you can protect your workers from them. . . . more »

BLS reports that workplace fatalities held steady in 2010
October 2011
Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries show little change in the number of workplace fatalities in 2010 compared with 2009. Last year, . . . more »

Accident Prevention: Worker Dies Just One Hour After a Near Miss; Don't Wait to Save a Life
October 2011
A cargo handler at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey was towing a metal airplane tail stand--a metal frame used to support the tail of an aircraft when it is being loaded and unloaded--when the tail stand's central stabilizer, or support, caught on the raised lip of a manhole cover, destabilizing it. The stabilizer had been left down by mistake; when a tail stand is being moved, the stabilizer should be raised. . . . more »

Standards Update: OSHSB Adopts Worker Protection Against Hot Liquids, Standardizes Telecom Ladder Requirements
October 2011
If a worker falls into a hot liquid and no Cal/OSHA standard covers the situation, can his employer still be cited? The answer was no until recently, when the state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) stepped in to close this gap in coverage. The OSHSB has also addressed a rules conflict between state and federal standards affecting the telecom industry. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Who's Responsible for Protecting Workers? Appeals Board Weighs in on Dual Employer Doctrine
September 2011
Temporary staffing agency Kelly Services provided workers to Orvis, a mail-order retailer specializing in outdoor and fishing gear. Kelly inspected the Orvis facility for overall safety four times a year and worked with Orvis to enhance health and safety conditions in the workplace. . . . more »

Standards Update: Recent OSHSB Adoptions Affect Work Over Water, Jacob's Ladders
September 2011
The state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) has adopted new standards that affect work performed over water and the use of Jacob's Ladders. Read on to learn about the new requirements. . . . more »

Enforcement: Employer, Foreman Sentenced to Prison After Roofer's Death; Could You Be Criminally Liable For a Worker's Injury?
August 2011
California C&R, a San Francisco roofing contractor, had a history with the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) dating back to 2002. That year, owner Sam Hyung Goo Shim's company was cited for not having a site safety plan. As part of the company's response, Shim agreed to take a weeklong safety course and develop an effective safety plan. . . . more »

Occupational Injuries: Ninth Circuit OKs Termination of Worker Hurt On the Job; How to Respond When a Worker Can't Perform Duties
July 2011
Stop the presses! The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California and is widely considered to be an employee-friendly court, has issued a rare ruling in favor of an employer in a disability discrimination case. The employer's actions in the case lay out a useful roadmap of how to lawfully respond when an injured employee can't return to work for an extended period. . . . more »

Young Workers: Movie Theaters Run Afoul of Restrictions on Hazardous Work by Minors; Are You in Compliance?
June 2011
Nearly 150,000 workers between the ages of 15 and 17 are injured on the job each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. . . . more »

Sample Return-to-Work Policy
COCA Online Exclusive May 2011
When an employee has been away from work because of an injury or illness or is returning to work with new medical issues (for example, a veteran who has been injured on duty), you may need to provide accommodations to help the worker smoothly re-enter the workplace. The sample return-to-work policy below will help you provide the necessary assistance while complying with workers' compensation and disability rights laws. . . . more »

Researchers find interactive safety training more effective for highly hazardous conditions
May 2011
A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that interactive training for workers in highly hazardous jobs is particularly effective at improving safe work behavior. . . . more »

Return-to-Work Programs: Look Beyond Work-Related Injury and Disability; Putting All Returning Workers Back on the Job Safely
May 2011
When a worker is injured on the job, employers know they may have to provide accommodations while the worker recovers or when the worker returns from a leave. For example, if a firefighter sprains his ankle while on duty, he may have to spend a few days "off the engine," assigned to other tasks, while he recovers. . . . more »

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