Cal/OSHA in the News - Inside Cal/OSHA

CAL/OSHA IN THE NEWS

April 2025

“California work safety agency hamstrung by chronic understaffing,” Tre’Vaughn Howard, Bloomberg Law, Daily Labor Report, March 14, 2025

February 2025

“Tesla fined for ‘serious’ safety lapse at Bay Area factory, San Francisco Chronicle, February 12, 2025
“Immigration crackdown could deter workers from reporting hazards, advocates warn, Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2025
“Farmworkers went unmasked during LA fires. That’s not supposed to happen,” Washington Post, February 3, 2025
“Safeway warehouse serving Bay Area is among riskiest for workers,” KQED, San Francisco, January 27, 2025
“As workers tackle the dangerous job of cleaning up after the LA fires, can the state keep them safe?” CalMatters, January 17, 2025
“California citation claims hazardous work conditions at Safeway warehouse in Tracy,” The Modesto Bee, January 8, 2025
“Newsom’s Defense of Californians should include Cal/OSHA,” Beyond Chron, December 9, 2024
“Impacts of understaffed California labor offices,” The State Worker, The Sacramento Bee, October 16, 2024
“California contractor fined for heat violations; They are still under investigation for retaliation,” The Sacramento Bee, October 11, 2024
“California contractor accused of firing farmworkers who suffered in extreme heat is fined,” KQED San Francisco, October 8, 2024
“Newsom vetoes farmworker heat safety bill as state enforcement has fallen.” Capital & Main, October 1, 2024
“As extreme heat rises, Newsom blocks bill to protect California farmworkers,” CalMatters, September 28, 2024
“Lawmakers take ‘creative’ approach to enforcing heat safety rules for California farmworkers,” Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2024
“The Bee reported Cal/OSHA’s understaffing endangered state workers. What’s happened since?” The Sacramento Bee, September 8, 2024
“Why workers still swelter, weeks after new heat standard took effect for indoor worksites,” Los Angeles Times, August 29, 2024
“California legislators say new laws must protect farmworkers from extreme heat,” Los Angeles Times, August 21, 2024
“California cuts back on safety enforcement as farmworkers toil in extreme heat,” Los Angeles Times, August 15, 2024
“California has heat regulations for farmworkers. Is another law needed for employers to comply?” The Sacramento Bee, August 8, 2024
“Family wants answers for California agency’s action in worker death; ‘his life mattered,’” The Sacramento Bee, August 7, 2024
“California’s long-awaited indoor heat standard has gone into effect; here’s what to expect,” Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2024
“California worker died in a cement mixer; His case was dropped but is now heading to court,” The Sacramento Bee, June 26, 2024
“Staffing issues still plague the investigative unit at Cal/OSHA, imperiling workers,” The Sacramento Bee, June 23, 2024
“California’s long-delayed indoor heat rule approved; What it means for workers,” CalMatters, June 20, 2024
“Newsom dismisses workplace safety regulator ahead of important vote,” KQED San Francisco, June 12, 2024
“A workplace safety board bucked Gavin Newsom; Now he’s shaking it up,” CalMatters, June 11, 2024
“Safety measures for stonecutters; Countertop workers are dying of silicosis,” Los Angeles Times, June 4, 2024
“Editorial: California workers shouldn’t have to face another broiling summer without indoor heat protections,” Los Angeles Times, May 24, 2024
“Prison workers to be excluded from indoor heat protections by California regulators,” KQED San Francisco, April 18, 2024

April 2024

“Gov. Newsom halts efforts to protect California workers from indoor heat, citing cost,” Samantha Young, KFF Health News, March 28, 2024
“State workplace heat safety rules delayed; Standards adopted by Cal/OSHA despite cost concerns are in limbo,” Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, March 25, 2024
“California wants to protect indoor workers from heat; That goal is now in limbo,” Alejandra Borunda, National Public Radio, March 23, 2024.
“California workers must wait even longer for indoor heat protections,” Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters, March 21, 2024.
“Long-awaited California safeguards against hot workplaces delayed again,” Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, March 21, 2024.
“Gavin Newsom makes statement on Cal/OSHA staffing problem; Advocates say it’s not enough,” Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, March 14, 2024.
“Newsom stays silent on Cal/OSHA staffing crisis as legislators and advocates call for action,” Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, March 13, 2024.

February 2024

“Overworked and Underprotected; Cal-OSHA is experiencing a staffing crisis. Here’s how that endangers California workers,” Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, February 22, 2024
“California tightens rules on worker exposure to poisonous lead. ‘The evidence is undeniable,’” Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2024
“Deadly work for high-end poultry; Death and injury – family-owned poultry business among most dangerous in Central Valley,” Melissa Montalvo, The Fresno Bee, February 8, 2024
“California lawmakers blast state’s workplace safety agency over ‘dangerous’ farmworker conditions,” Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2024
“Is California’s workplace safety agency protecting farmworkers? Legislators want to know,” Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters journalism website, February 7, 2024
“Whither Cal/OSHA? Ground-breaking standards, but no one to enforce them,” Garrett Brown, Confined Space blog, February 1, 2024
“California is poised to protect workers from extreme heat – Indoors,” Samantha Young, KFF Health News journalism website, January 3, 2024

December 2023

“Dying in the fields as temperatures soar,” by Liza Gross and Peter Aldhous, Inside Climate News, December 31, 2023
“Chief of California’s OSHA program steps down as agency vacancy rate reaches historic levels,” Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, December 21, 2023
“Rules to protect laborers enacted; State OKs emergency measures to prevent silicosis, lung disease killing stone cutters,” by Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2023
“CDC rift with Cal/OSHA over when to use N95 masks could put California health workers are risk again,” Amy Maxmen, San Francisco Chronicle, December 8, 2023
“At SpaceX, worker injuries soar in Elon Musk’s rush to Mars,” Marisa Taylor, Reuters, November 23, 2023
“California countertop workers died of a preventable disease. The threat was known years earlier,” Emily Alpert Reyes and Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2023
“OSHA investigates small dairy farms so rarely that many worker advocates don’t bother to report deaths and injuries,” Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel, ProPublica, November 13, 2023
“State wage theft investigators say staffing crisis is hurting the agency,” Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED, July 18, 2023
“OSHA’s limits for toxic exposure cause preventable harm to Silicon Valley workers,” Ruth Silver Taube, San Jose Spotlight, May 11, 2023
“California regulators drafting Emergency Rule to combat deadly lung disease,” Jim Morris and Kim Krisberg, Public Health Watch, May 10, 2023
“Cal/OSHA staff shortage creates backlog of cases,” Dan Ross, Capital & Main, January 10, 2023
“Ancient lung disease strikes countertop cutters in LA,” Jim Morris and Leslie Berenstein Rojas, LAist, December 2, 2022
“’Health and Safety are at risk’: Only 1 California safety inspector is bilingual in Chinese or Vietnamese,” Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED, November 21, 2022
“’Minimal to non-existent,’: Safety inspector shortage worsened in pandemic, leaving California workers vulnerable,” Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED, June 2, 2021

2020 Los Angeles Times series

“Meatpacking was already risky. Then came the virus,” September 8, 2020
“Wanted: California workplace safety retirees to help confront coronavirus crisis,” August 14, 2020
“California agency for protecting workers can’t protect its own – even amid a pandemic, officials say,” August 7, 2020
“California worker safety agency ‘missing in action’ during coronavirus, critics say,” July 16, 2020

Links to selected articles and reports on occupational health and safety

June 2015

Los Angeles Times, “Cal/OSHA settles farmworker suits over heat-related deaths,” June 11, 2015

Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, “Cal/OSHA continues to reduce the number of compliance officers,” June 23, 2015

September 2014

Labor Notes, “Will California Unions Protest? Safety Enforcement Weakened by ‘Friends of Labor’ Politicians”

August 2014

Los Angeles Times, “Safety Lapses at Cal/OSHA” – August 24, 2014 (see the end of “Ride-sharing…” article)

Bay Area News Group newspapers reprint Fair Warning profile “Still Speaking Out; Cal-OSHA retiree comes back swinging” – August 10, 2014

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, “Potential national implications of Cal/OSHA’s ‘new direction’” — August 12, 2014

Labor Notes, “Viewpoint: California Job Safety Weakened By ‘Friends of Labor’” — August 8, 2014 http://www.labornotes.org/2014/08/viewpoint-california-job-safety-weakened-friends-labor-politicians

July 2014

Los Angeles Daily News reprints Fair Warning profile “Labor activist who chose to work within the system is outside once again” – July 28, 2014

Fair Warning, “Labor Activist Who Chose to Work Within the System is Outsider Once More, and Again Crusading for Job Safety” – July 24, 2014

Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, “Former Cal/OSHA staffer says he witnessed political coup that forced out agency head” – July 17, 2014 http://www.ishn.com/articles/99079-former-calosha-staffer-says-he-witnessed-political-coup-that-forced-out-agency-head

May 2014

Industrial Safety and Hygiene News: “Why you should care about Cal/OSHA’s budget and political troubles,” May 9, 2014. http://www.ishn.com/articles/98577-why-you-should-care-about-caloshas-budget-and- political-troubles

The Pump Handle blog: “Is California keeping people safe at work? Labor advocates say no,” May 14, 2014. http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/2014/05/14/is-california-keeping-people-safe-at-work-labor-advocates-say-no/

Reposted at the Center for Effective Government: http://www.foreffectivegov.org/blog/is-california-keeping-people-safe-work-labor-advocates-say-no

April 2014

Safety & Health magazine (National Safety Council): “‘Starvation Diet’? A report from a former Cal/OSHA employee claims the agency is understaffed – even though funding is available,” April 1, 2014. http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/10075?utm_source=Real+In+this+issu e+–+April+2014&utm_campaign=inThisIssue&utm_medium=email

Southern California Public Radio: “Former top Cal/OSHA official claims agency funds misspent or unspent,” April 1, 2014. http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/04/01/43205/former-top-cal-osha-official-claims-agency-funds-m/

Industrial Safety and Hygiene News: “Whistleblower claims California is misusing Cal/OSHA funds,” April 2, 2014. http://www.ishn.com/articles/98294-whistleblower-claims-california-is-misusing- calosha-funds

February 2014

Los Angeles Times: “Group to file complaint against Cal/OSHA over staffing levels,”February 10, 2014. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-worker-safety-20140211,0,4087573,print.story

Sacramento Bee: “Public employee group says California workplace safety department starved for inspectors,” February 10, 2014. http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/10/6145741/public-employee-group-says- california.html

Southern California Public Radio: “2 top former Cal/OSHA officials accuse agency of failing to protect workers,” February 10, 2014. http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/02/10/42131/two-top-former-officials-accuse-cal-osha-of-failin/

EHS Today: “Watchdog Group: Cal/OSHA’s staffing has fallen below minimum standard for federal funding,” February 11, 2014. http://ehstoday.com/osha/watchdog-group-calosha-s-staff-level-has-fallen-below-minimum-standard-federal-funding

Safety & Health magazine (National Safety Council): “Low staffing, funding levels at Cal/OSHA politically driven, insider report says,” February 14, 2014. February 2014 website posting: http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/9934- low-staffing-funding-levels-at-calosha-politically-driven-insider-report-says