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New Law Gives Cal/OSHA More Punch

Jan. 3, 2000

A new California law makes changes to the Cal/OSHA and increases enforcement efforts.

The California Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is preparing to carry out a new bill, which was signed into law by Governor Davis on Oct. 6, 1999.

AB 1127 makes statutory changes in the Cal/OSHA, effective Jan. 1, 2000.

"This law will greatly increase the effectiveness of Cal/OSHA's enforcement efforts, and in doing so, increase the safety and health protections afforded to California's workers," said Cal/OSHA Chief John Howard.

Major changes to the Cal/OSHA include the following.

Increasing the maximum statutory civil penalty for a serious violation from $7,000 to $25,000.
Increasing the maximum penalty for a failure-to-abate violation from $7,000 to $15,000 a day.
Deleting the longstanding statutory exemption for government entities from imposition of Cal/OSHA civil penalties, including failure-to-abate penalties.
Increasing the criminal penalties of certain Cal/OSHA violations. This increases the fines and prison terms that a court may impose for certain Cal/OSHA violations.

For more information on the implementation plan for AB 1127, go to the department's Web Site at www.dir.ca.gov

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.