California - Cal/OSHA

On June 24, 2026, the California Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement met and voted to pass Assembly Bill (AB) No. 2321 , a measure that would change case review procedures for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and its Bureau of Investigations (BOI) and create a five-year pilot program transferring investigative responsibilities from the BOI to the district attorneys of Alameda and Santa Clara counties. AB 2321 previously passed the Cal…

California AB 2321 Would Expand District Attorneys' Role in Workplace Fatality Investigations

Legislation in the California Legislature would create a pilot program directing district attorneys in Alameda and Santa Clara counties to investigate workplace accident investigations and prosecute cases of workplace fatalities and other serious accidents.

On May 21, 2026, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) voted to initiate an emergency rulemaking process to evaluate whether the fabrication and installation of artificial stone products with greater than one percent crystalline silica should be completely banned in C

As employers across California navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, one issue keeps surfacing in California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) enforcement actions: what happens when the division cites a company that no longer exists?

As California heats up, employers should revisit Cal/OSHA’s heat illness prevention requirements, which continue to apply to both outdoor and indoor workplaces in 2026. Federal OSHA, by comparison, still has not finalized a nationwide heat-specific standard. Read more here: Beat the Heat: Reminders

With summer nearing, California employers should review their workplace violence prevention plans and complete annual training. Read more about WVPP: California Workplace Violence Prevention: Annual Review and Training Deadlines Are Coming Back Around.

In this podcast, shareholders Kevin Bland (Orange County) and Karen Tynan (Sacramento), who is chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, discuss the unique aspects of Cal/OSHA discovery, which differs significantly from federal OSHA and civil litigation discovery processes. Kar

On Friday, April 24, 2026, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board released a revised draft workplace violence regulation for general industry that clarifies the definition of small employer and specifies the elements of a workplace violence prevention plan.

In this podcast, shareholders Kevin Bland (Orange County) and Karen Tynan (Sacramento), who is chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, discuss the strict 15-working-day deadline for filing Cal/OSHA appeals. Karen and Kevin explain why California’s administrative process offer

On March 27, 2026, California’s Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board retracted a worker-friendly decision issued earlier in March because it failed to consider the employer’s answer to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s (Cal/OSHA) petition for reconsideration due to a clerical

Assembly Member Liz Ortega (D–District 20), chair of the California State Assembly’s Committee on Labor and Employment, recently introduced Assembly Bill (AB) No. 2321 , legislation that would amend the California Labor Code to require local district attorneys to take an earlier and more prominent r

Every once in a while, the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board publishes a Decision After Reconsideration that makes employers wince and leaves attorneys scratching their heads. On March 12, 2026, the Appeals Board did just that when it issued KPRS Construction Services, Inc. , t

In this podcast, Kevin Bland (shareholder, Orange County) sits down with Karen Tynan (shareholder, Sacramento), who is chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, to discuss Cal/OSHA’s February 2026 proposed rulemaking on walkaround inspections, which would significantly expand w

Another Friday Night Surprise: Cal/OSHA Proposes State Analog to Worker Walkaround Rule Consistent with its tradition of dropping surprise regulatory proposals near the end of the day before a holiday weekend, Cal/OSHA published a formal proposal on Friday the 13th, 2026, to promulgate a California

On Friday, February 13, 2026, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would vest the agency with discretion to allow additional employee and employer representatives to accompany the inspector during the inspection. A public he

Unless exempt, California employers must post their annual summary of work-related injuries and illnesses in a visible and easily accessible location at each worksite from February 1 through April 30, 2026. Employers must use Cal/OSHA Form 300A for this posting. Cal/OSHA provides guidance on how to

The California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement recently released a revised Healthy Workplaces/Healthy Families Act (HWHFA) poster reflecting recent amendments to the state paid sick leave law. California employers must promptly update their workplace postings. Our California colleagues off

On January 7, 2026, the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board (Appeals Board or OSHAB) convened in Sacramento, California, for a stakeholders’ roundtable discussion to gather ideas for enhancing and improving Board processes and procedures. The meeting was attended by OSHAB members

Employers covered by Cal-WARN must now include new information in layoff and closure notices — including access to workforce development and food-assistance programs. Jen details what changed, who’s covered, and how to avoid a compliance crisis during a downsizing.