California - Page 1

Certain amusement rides are covered by California’s new reg.

Best Practices

An overzealous standard? California takes the lead again

December 3, 2019

California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, aka Proposition 65 (Prop 65) was revised August 30, 2018. The revised Prop 65 requires a warning label, example shown below, for any consumer product containing any of the more than 950 chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects.

First responders get life-saving sensor readings, video surveillance

Squishy Robots to the rescue

Dave Johnson

June 3, 2019

It’s a bird, it’s a plane… no, it’s a Squishy Robot, dropped from a helicopter or a drone to transmit crucial environmental data to emergency responders at disaster scenes.

Where breathing local air is a concern in the U.S.

January 11, 2017

In its annual ‘State of the Air’ report for 2016, the American Lung Association reports that despite the continued improvement in air quality, there are still over 166 million Americans at risk of averse health effects on account of unhealthy air throughout the country.

A ProPublica Story

California and EPA poised to expand pollution of potential drinking water reserves

Abrahm Lustgarten

August 30, 2016

As the western United States struggles with chronic water shortages and a changing climate, scientists are warning that if vast underground stores of fresh water that California and other states rely on are not carefully conserved, they too may soon run dry.

Cal/OSHA continues to reduce number of compliance officers

June 23, 2015

The most populous state – and some would argue, the most progressive when it comes to worker safety issues – has a compliance officer-to-worker ratio well below that of federal OSHA.

Initial Analysis: DIR’s Budget Change Proposal for Cal/OSHA California State Fiscal Year 2015/16

Garrett Brown MPH, CIH

May 4, 2015

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its final count of workplace fatalities for 2013 (the latest year calculated) showing California’s death toll that year to be 396 — more than one worker killed every day — with 21 more fatalities than in 2012. The 2013 figure is the highest number of deaths since 2009.

Lumber Liquidators story raises safety concerns for many

March 5, 2015

The construction industry and homeowners are reevaluating the safety of materials distributed by a top supplier after a scathing report by CBS News program “60 Minutes.”

Dozens injured in Cal. train derailment

Train struck a truck

February 24, 2015

New sources are reporting that a commuter train derailed in Ventura County, California early this morning, injuring dozens of people, including crew members. The accident occurred when the train collided with a produce truck that was on the tracks.

DTSC warns companies about manifest mistakes

Eight manifest mistakes to avoid in California

October 7, 2014

Hazardous waste generators in California recently received an alert from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) by mail. The DTSC’s letter addresses a growing problem with Hazardous Waste Manifests: DTSC finds mistakes on many of the roughly 500,000 Manifests it receives and compiles in the Hazardous Waste Tracking System (HWTS) each year.

Inside Cal/OSHA – First person narrative

One year after the coup: Who’s running the show at Cal/OSHA?

Garrett Brown MPH, CIH

September 17, 2014

September 2014 marks the one-year anniversary of the forced resignation of Cal/OSHA Chief Ellen Widess and the start of direct rule by Department of Industrial Relations Director Christine Baker. A year later there is no permanent leadership team, the roster is riddled with vacancies, and policy decisions have lurched between “political spin” crises and administrative diktats in response.