Background: On October 15, 2022, the American National Safety Institute (ANSI) requirements for First-Aid kits changed. In this newsletter, we discuss the changes to the regulatory requirements for first-aid kits, guidelines, and training. California and Federal regulations mandate that employers ensure ready availability of medical personnel for advice on matters of industrial health or injury. [...]

Background: Since July 1992, regulations promulgated under the CAA require that motor vehicle air conditioning refrigerant be recycled. In 2006, auto dealers in San Francisco area were penalized for violations arising under this act. Serious penalties and legal drama followed. [...]

What Happened: In the parking lot of a dealership in southern California, an individual was rinsing cars with DI water using pressure washer equipment located on the back of a pickup truck. The pressure washer had a gasoline powered motor. During the course of rinsing, the gasoline level went low. The operator got a can full of gasoline and started pouring gasoline into the gasoline tank on the pressure washer while the motor was running. A fireball and explosion resulted. The gasoline spilled on the plastic bed of the pickup truck and the flames quickly melted the plastic. Surprisingly, the operator suffered minimal injuries and there were no damages beyond the pressure washer equipment and bed of the pickup truck. [..]

Senate Bill 606 makes amendments to California Labor Code that became effective January 1, 2022, giving Cal/OSHA expanded powers and increased penalties. The bill creates two new categories of violations; “enterprise-wide” and “egregious.” The bill also authorizes Cal/OSHA to issue a subpoena should an employer fail to provide Cal/OSHA with information related to an investigation. Citations for enterprise-wide violations have the same penalties as willful or repeat violations, with a maximum penalty of up to $136,532 per violation. Below, we discuss these categories and subpoena powers with their potential impact on California employers. [...]

CDC reports that more than 2000 workers sustain a job-related eye injury each day. About a third of the injuries require a trip to the hospital while hundreds of these require days away from work. The cost of these injuries results in lost production exceeding $300 million. Eye injuries can be prevented by using proper eye protection. The harsh reality is that eye injuries can be permanent in nature. [...]