If you’re a California employer, I hope the following is not news to you.  Pursuant to SB 553, most employers in California are required to put in place an effective Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP”) by July 1, 2024. SB 553 added section 6401.9 to the California Labor Code to address the requirements for a compliant WVPP. Continue Reading Preparing Your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Just Got a Little Easier – CalOSHA Issues a Model Plan & Other Resources

On May 7, 2022 (Yes, that was a Saturday), CalOSHA issued a Fact Sheet and updated Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) to align with, and explain, its revised Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) for preventing and responding to COVID-19 in the workplace.
Continue Reading CalOSHA Issues Updated FAQs for Its Revised COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards

For the third time, CalOSHA has revised its Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) governing workplace safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The revised ETS are due to take effect on May 6, 2022 once they have been reviewed by the Office of Administrative Law and filed with the California Secretary of State.
Continue Reading CalOSHA’s [Revised] ETS are Here to Stay! …at Least Until the End of 2022

The Standards Board Approved the Updated Cal/OSHA Covid-19 Requirements and Governor Newsom Issued an Executive Order Making Them Effective

Note: This post was updated on June 18, 2021.

On June 17, 2021, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted 5-1 to approve the revised Covid-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”) and, as promised, Governor Newsom promptly issued Executive Order No. N-09-21 holding that the new ETS shall not be subject to the regular 10-day approval process by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) for emergency regulations.  Instead, the new ETS became effective when the OAL filed them with the California Secretary of State on June 18, 2021. As a result, face coverings/masking and other social distancing requirements shall be consistent between Cal/OSHA rules and public health guidelines from the CDC and California Department of Public Health.
Continue Reading Cal/OSHA Update: THE VOTES ARE IN AND IT’S OFFICIAL!

Cal/OSHA Has Come Full Circle to Align with CDC & CA Public Health Department

Continuing the yo-yo of back and forth revisions to the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (“ETS”), on June 11, 2021 Cal/OSHA submitted yet another draft of its proposed ETS to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board for review and approval.  While the draft contains a number of small changes to the earlier draft, the main revision deals with when masks – or face coverings – are required to be worn in the workplace.
Continue Reading Cal/OSHA Update: Masking in the Workplace