During the conference in October, John Duncan, former Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations, warned there appears to be some indications the new administration at Cal/OSHA could be less employer friendly and more enforcement oriented.  This comment was based on an excerpt from a recent memo sent by Cal/OSHA Chief Ellen Widess to DOSH staff regarding the first 100 days of her appointment stating, "In just three months, thanks to your good work, we’ve sent a powerful message about the importance of compliance to all employers in California..."

...

New Cal/OSHA Chief Ellen Widess is serious about enforcement and is holding no prisoners when it comes to the heat illness regulation.  Check out the most recent news release http://www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2011/IR2011-13.html.

“Our program will be strategic, focusing on workers at highest risk in outdoor industries such as agriculture, construction, landscaping...

If you work on or around road construction equipment, you need to check out the blog at the NIOSH website - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/nsb040411_visibility.html.  Road construction equipment has huge blind spots, and it’s important to review just how significant they are. Blind-area diagrams of 38 pieces of construction equipment and 5 pieces of mining equipment are available...

One of our BRS risk control managers learned that two police departments she works with in the Bay Area were recently cited for lack of controls for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exposure.  (See the links below for the definition of MRSA and additional information.)  It’s important for police to have department-specific procedures in their injury and illness prevention program (IIPP), including cleaning and disinfection procedures. ...

Check out the article (link below) about a volunteer firefighter who died last year of a heart attack during a fire suppression training exercise. He was only 51. That’s scary! This story is a reminder that you don’t have to be very old to suffer from a heart condition. The recommendations in the article include the implementation of pre-placement and periodic medical evaluations and a wellness/fitness program. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face201021.html...