Cal/OSHA Compliance Advisor helps safety professionals, business owners, and managers comply with the safety regulations in our state, keep your workers safe, lower workers' comp costs, and avoid safety-related fines and lawsuits.
 

Start Your FREE 7-Day Trial »

 

Compliance Checklist: Lockout/Tagout 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 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 » Chemicals Regulation: New Green Chemistry Initiatives in California; What They Mean for Your Business Audio Conference Tuesday, December 16, 2008 Governor Schwarzenegger has signed A.B. 1879 and S.B. 509 into law--together, they comprise landmark legislation that sets the foundation for a systematic, science-based approach to evaluating and managing the health effects of chemicals during manufacturing, use, and disposal. Join us on December 16 for an in-depth audio conference all about these new laws. . . . more » DOWNLOAD: Personal Protective Equipment; What Do You Need, When Do You Need It, and How Do You Ensure Its Effectiveness? It would be nice if workplaces could be made completely safe--if hazards could be eliminated, guarded, enclosed, rendered benign--but for some workplaces and some types of work, it just isn't going to happen . . . more » Emergency Planning and Response: How to Manage the Media — and Contain Negative Publicity — in the Event of a Crisis at Your Workplace Audio Conference Originally presented on June 13, 2007 It is not pleasant to think about a crisis at your workplace that draws news outlets to your door--but planning ahead for this contingency is vital for the well-being of both your workers and your business. Join us on June 13 for an in-depth audio conference on preparing your company for the possibility of a media event . . . more » More

Toxic Mold: Preventing Mold-Related Problems in Indoor Workplaces; Guidance from Federal OSHA and California California was the first state in the nation to pass a law addressing the hazards of toxic mold in buildings: the Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001. This act required the California Department of Health Services (DHS) to present a study to the legislature evaluating . . . more » Roofing Safety: A Review of Cal/OSHA's Requirements; Prevent Slips, Falls, Serious Injuries, and Deaths Workers on roofs are at risk for serious injuries and death from falls. Not only do they perform their jobs at substantial heights, but they may also be working on surfaces that are . . . more » Best Practices: Federal OSHA's Fundamentals of a Workplace First Aid Program; Are You Ready to Respond to Medical Emergencies? Employers in California are required to ensure that medical treatment is readily available to sick or injured workers under General Industry Safety Order Section 3400, Medical Services and First Aid. . . . more » Sign up for a trial and access more articles like these

Bulletin: Senators urge action on diacetyl Four Democratic U.S. senators have written letters to the heads of the Department of Labor and OSHA expressing concern over the public health risks of diacetyl, a chemical used in artificial flavoring . . . more » Bulletin: Draft of DHS Risk-Based Performance Standards guidance issued. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued the draft guidance for Risk-Based Performance Standards (RBPSs) of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). The guidance was develop . . . more » Bulletin: Reminder: Beware of CO dangers this winter The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is reminding employers of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in the wake of a recent incident. Says Assistant Director Steve Cant: "Every fa . . . more » Lockout/Tagout: Keep Workers Safe Even During 'Minor' Maintenance Activities; Understanding the Exception That Isn't Ordinarily, when a piece of equipment is working, all of its potentially hazardous contact points should be fully guarded. Conversely, whenever its potentially hazardous points of contact are not guarded, the machine should be shut down, locked out, and neutralized so that workers are not imperiled while they work in areas that would be dangerous. . . . more » Best Practices: Don't Let Holiday Decorations Create Workplace Hazards; Tips for Safe Seasonal Décor Do you deck the halls in your workplace? Whether you decorate for business-related purposes--to draw in customers looking for holiday items--or just to have some seasonal cheer at work, make sure your holiday trimmings don't invite tragedy. To help you decorate safely, here are some holiday tips . . . more » Safety Management: For Best Results, Don't Treat Adult Learners Like Children Adults are not children. This may seem obvious, yet the training given to adults is often based on the same model that schoolteachers use with primary school children: The teacher is the expert who gives students both information and a context for that information, and students are expected to respect the teacher's authority and expertise. . . . more » Hazardous Chemicals: Diesel Exhaust; How to Control This Potentially Deadly Hazard According to the California Air Resources Board, more than 90 percent of Californians live in areas that experience episodes of dangerously "dirty" air--when air is contaminated with levels of ozone, toxics, and particulate matter (PM) that are dangerous to human health. . . . more » Appeals Board Decisions: Forklift Death Results in $48,750 Final Penalties; How Employer Obtained a Reduction ABC Supply Company, a Wisconsin-based roofing supplier, rented a rough terrain forklift for workers in its Los Angeles facility to use. On April 13, 2005, a worker was descending a grade, with a load raised up on the forks, when the forklift tipped over. The worker was killed . . . more » Trainer's Handbook: Do Your Workers Know When and How to Use Fire Extinguishers? Many workplaces have appropriately selected, properly placed, routinely inspected fire extinguishers hanging along the wall at regular intervals. But unless workers know when and how to use fire extinguishers, they could be a wasted investment. Make sure your workers have the best chance to save lives and property from small fires with extinguisher training. . . . more » News Note: Chemical Safety Board Releases Propane Safety Video The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has released a new 23-minute safety video, "Half an Hour to Tragedy," highlighting the causes of a deadly propane gas explosion at the Little General convenien . . . more » News Note: Certification Program For Crane Signalers Created The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has announced a new certification program for signalpersons. The program follows the intent of the latest revision of the American . . . more » News Note: CFLs May Pose Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Risk, Agency Says New research from the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency indicates that a significant proportion of the compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) currently on the market may expose people who use the . . . more » News Note: New Federal OSHA Resource Addresses Shipfitting in the Maritime Industry A new OSHA resource addresses the hazards of shipfitting in vessel construction and repair and ways to avoid those hazards. The A href="http://www.osha.gov/dts/maritime/sltc/ships/shipfitting/shi . . . more » News Note: Group Issues Guidance on Contact Lenses in Industrial Workplaces The American College of Occupational and Environmental Health has issued guidelines for industrial employers on workplace use of contact lenses and personal protective equipment (including protect . . . more » Compliance Checklist: Lockout/Tagout 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 » Bulletin: Last chance to register for the California Employment Law Update conference! Time is running out to register for the third annual California Employment Law Update conference in San Francisco from Nov. 5-7. For more information, including details on the just-added session on th . . . more » Bulletin: New proposed regs address drug and alcohol abuse among miners Concerned that current regulations governing mine safety do not adequately account for the dangers of substance abuse among miners, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has proposed new re . . . more » Recordkeeping: Observing the Formalities; Avoid Citations by Keeping Your Form 300 Correctly They may seem insignificant, but little things can really add up--like the penalties attached to citations for not keeping your Log 300 forms properly and not providing them to state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) inspectors in a timely manner. These penalties typically run between $150 and $375, with the possibility of reductions for good faith or financial hardship--but if you're not keeping your Log 300 correctly, you could also be hit with multiple violations of the Division of Labor Statistics and Research recordkeeping rules, contained in Title 8, Section 14300. Take a look at the common mistakes we describe here --and some of the employers that made them--and make sure that you're not letting your recordkeeping nickel and dime you into some significant penalties. . . . more » Electrical Safety: Don't Be Faked Out; Counterfeits Create Workplace Hazards After two nuclear power plants were found to have purchased fake replacement parts, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) warned plant licensees last April about counterfeit parts. The counterfeit c . . . more » Indoor Air Quality: What's Fouling Your Air? Five Tips for Better Breathing Ordinarily, when we think of air pollution, what comes to mind is smog, thick smoke from wildfires, or toxic emissions that make breathing the air dangerous. But air quality inside a building can be dangerous, too. Find out what could be affecting indoor air quality in your workplace and the steps you can take to clear everyone's breathing air. . . . more » Appeals Board Decisions: Substantial Fines Upheld for Lockout/Tagout Violations That Resulted in Serious Injuries Bertha Garcia, a packaging scheduler for Gold River Mills in Woodland, was told to assist on its rice packaging line on Jan. 6, 2006. This was not unusual for her—she filled in on the packag . . . more » Legislation: New Law Bans Texting While Driving; Prepare Your Employees A new state law, S.B. 28, expands the existing ban on driving while using a cell phone without a hands-free device to now prohibit texting, e-mailing, and instant messaging while driving. The law goes . . . more » Best Practices: 6 Tips to Keep Workers Safe During Shutdowns and Startups The end of the year is approaching, a time when many manufacturers take their production facilities out of service for a period to perform annual maintenance. These shutdown, maintenance, and startup operations present unusual safety issues. Shutting down large chunks of a manufacturing operation safely can be a logistical challenge; starting it back up, more so. Additionally, because maintenance workers may perform tasks they don't do very often, the safety precautions they need to take may not be second nature to them . . . more » Trainer's Handbook: Fire Prevention Plans; Do Your Workers Know What's in Yours? When fire broke out in a 4,000-foot hydroelectric utility tunnel in Colorado in October 2007, nine workers got caught in a bad spot. Four workers were able to evacuate from the tunnel's lower end, but five others were trapped on the other side of the fire and were unable to climb out of the tunnel's steeper uphill terminus. They were found dead of smoke inhalation, trapped at a point where the tunnel's slope took a sharp turn from 15-degrees upslope to 55-degrees upslope. . . . more » News Note: Study Links Bisphenol A to Metabolic, Cardiovascular Problems Higher concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) in urine are linked to increased incidence of chest pain, coronary heart disease and heart attack, diabetes, and increased liver enzyme levels, a new study p . . . more » News Note: NTSB Blames Fatigue for Fatal Accident; Calls for Action The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that human fatigue was the probable cause of a collision between a tractor-trailer and a bus that killed five people near Osseo, Wisconsi . . . more » News Note: Final Rule on Mine Rescue Equipment Published The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has published a final rule that addresses equipment for mine rescue teams serving underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines. New requirements inclu . . . more » News Note: Two NIOSH Publications Now Available in Spanish The National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have made available translations of two documents: "Protecting Poultry Workers from Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)" and "Workplace Soluti . . . more » News Note: OSHA to Propose Cranes and Derricks Construction Standard The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is preparing to publish a proposed rule for cranes and derricks in construction. The rule would apply to the nation's estimated 96,000 con . . . more » Health & Safety: Lyme Disease Prevention Outdoor workers face a number of unique hazards: rain and snow, difficult terrain, extremes of heat and cold--and insects. Ticks are one insect workers need to be particularly aware of. Although more prevalent in the warmer months, ticks are present year-round in California and can carry a number of diseases. The following are tick-transmitted diseases that have been found in California:populations where they first . . . more » More