Enforcement


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Enforcement

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Appeals Board Decisions: Foot Pedals Cause Finger Amputations; Employers Didn't Guard Points of Operation
April 2008
At 11:30 p.m., Balderamo Haro was alone in the workshop at Brydenscot Metal Products in San Bernadino, putting in some overtime. He was bending pieces of 20-gauge steel . . . more »

Appeals Board Decision to Watch: J.F. Shea Construction, Inc.
April 2008
The Cal/OSH Appeals Board created quite a sensation recently with its decision after reconsideration in the case of J.F. Shea Construction, . . . more »

Enforcement: Five Citations You Should Never Get
COCA Online Exclusive
There are some citations that state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) inspectors write over and over again; they're in the top 10 every year. And yet, they're some of the easiest citations to avoid . . . more »

Bulletin: COCA Online Exclusive: Avoiding DOSH citations
March 2008
In this month's Online Exclusive, we cover five of the most common, yet easily avoidable, citations that state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: DOSH Cites Employers Unable to Document Compliance; Two Cases of Missing Paperwork
March 2008
After showing state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) inspector Nick Gleiter around a Cannon Constructors worksite in Oakland, job superintendent Gary Woffinden led the inspector to his office trailer. Gleiter then asked to see the employer's Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), . . . more »

Construction: Scaffolding Safety Basics; Don't Send Workers Up Half-Planked
February 2008
On June 8, 2007, a drywaller at a residential construction site in Claremont came in early to work on a vaulted ceiling. At 7:25 a.m., his co-workers arrived and found him lying dead beneath the scaffold. He had fallen to his death. Eighty-seven Californians died this way in 2006, and more than 20,000 additional workers are injured each year in falls in this state. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Were Workers in an Isolated Location? Factors to Consider
February 2008
Two Utility Tree Service, Inc., employees were trimming trees in a gated residential community in Lake Almanor, located in Plumas County. They were working about one block from a dead end, within two . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Defining the Danger Zone; Requirements Clarified for Safety Around Suspended Loads
October 2007
On Oct. 26, 2005, Marcelo Ribeiro de Freitas and a co-worker were using a Bobcat with a clamshell attachment to remove an old fence from an Oakland construction site. Freitas's co-worker lifted a fence pole and its attached concrete base as Freitas moved to get out of the way . . . more »

News Notes: Latest Enforcement Sweeps Create $52,000 In Proposed Fines
August 2007
The Economic and Employment Enforcement Coalition (EEEC), a multiagency task force, recently completed a sweep of businesses in San Joaquin County. Forty inspections were conducted, 10 citations were issued, and . . . more »

Contesting Cal/OSHA Citations, Part 2: But Officer! Affirmative Defenses Recognized by the Appeals Board
May 2007
In Part 1 of our series, we discussed how to file an appeal with the Cal/OSHA Appeals Board (OSHAB) after the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has issued a citation and notification of penalty, a notification of failure to abate, a special order, or an order to take special action, against your facility. Once you receive a date, time, and location for your appeal hearing (you'll have this at least 30 days in advance), you'll know when to show up to make your case before the administrative law judge. . . . more »

Notifying Workers and Communicating with the Board
May 2007
When you appeal to the OSHAB, your employees are legally entitled to participate in the process--and you have to notify them that they can participate. A notice of their rights and a copy of the docketed appeal form must be posted . . . more »

News Note: CAL/OSHA Consultation Offers Internet Video
August 2006
It's now possible to watch the Cal/OSHA Consultation video over the internet. The ten-minute video describes California OSHA's consultation services, which provide free, . . . more »

Cal/OSHA Appeals: Understanding the Appeals Process; Information You Need to Know, Just In Case
March 2004
You might have the most thorough planning and comprehensive safety program and still face a worker injury or Cal/OSHA citation. For diligent employers these events can be a real blow and shocking, but . . . more »

Defense to Penalties: Employer Successfully Argues Independent Employee Action Caused Accident; What You Need to Know About This Defense
February 2004
When an employee is injured, the fallout can include increased workers' compensation costs, decreased employee morale, and a citation and penalty imposed by Cal/OSHA. But under certain circumstances a . . . more »