Cal/OSHA is planning on increasing its physical presence in several California counties over the next several months. Recently announced permanent office sites include:
- Regional Office in Fresno
- High Hazard Office in Fresno
- District Office in Santa Barbara
- District Office in Riverside
According to Cal/OSHA the decision to invest in additional office locations was prompted by operational needs, an increased demand for responses to complaints, accidents and proactive high-heat inspections at workplaces in the areas listed above; especially those in high-hazard industries. Updates on Cal/OSHA’s progress in finalizing these new offices will be posted on the agency’s Enforcement Office location webpage.
Employers in these areas can expect an expanded Cal/OSHA enforcement presence. Below is a reminder of some of the more important employer responsibilities under Cal/OSHA regulations:
- Establish, implement and maintain an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (update periodically)
- Inspect workplace(s) to identify and correct unsafe and hazardous conditions
- Make sure employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment
- Provide and pay for personal protective equipment[i]
- Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards
- Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them regularly
- Immediately report any work-related death or serious injury or accident
- For employers with 11 or more employees, keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses on the log 300, transfer the totals to the log 300A, and post the log 300A from February 1 through April 30 of the following year
- Post, at a prominent location within the workplace, the Cal/OSHA poster informing employees of their rights and responsibilities
- Do not discriminate against employees who exercise their rights under the California OSH Act
[i] Bendix Forest Products Corporation v. Division of Occupational Safety and Health (1979), 25 Cal. 3d 465 (employers are required to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) if the law requires the employer to provide the PPE).