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CSTC subscribes to several News Services, one of them being Department of Industrial Relations ( DIR News ). Sunday October 27th, we received this release about "Cal/OSHA Reminds Employers to Protect Workers if the Air Quality is Unhealthy due to Wildfire Smoke". We are republishing this information to help spread this valuation information.

CAL/OSHA has proposed and adopted a new emergency regulation known as section 5141.1.  The new regulation is concerned with providing a safe work environment for outside workers when there is wildfire in the area and the current Air Quality Index (AQI) is 151 or greater.  The concern here is that wildfires can produce particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, at this size it is too small for the body to filter out naturally.  At they are known to filter down to the deepest recesses of the lung and can cause heart and lung health issues. 

Department of Industrial Relations State of California made a News Release July 30 2019, stating — "Cal/OSHA’s emergency regulation requiring employers to protect workers from hazards associated with wildfire smoke is now in effect, following its approval yesterday by the Office of Administrative Law." 

Read more for the full news release

In this Video ( with transcription ), Ben Laverty IV from California Safety Training Corporation ( CSTC ) talks about the recent changes to OSHA 300 Log reporting, and the upcoming deadlines, including fines, and how to use your OSHA 300 logs to help your business.

What to do and what to expect when a state or federal OSHA inspector shows up.

Living in Southern California, like a large number of our clients, friends and family, these Wildfires are affecting our air quality, and our health. As employers, this means even more responsibility for outdoor workers, and Cal OSHA issued an advisory to help keep your compliant, and your workers safe.

Living in Bakersfield, Heat Illness is a serious problem, with high temperatures 8+ months out of the year. In this video, Ben IV Laverty discusses Heat Illness very casually, with some stories, insights, and frequently asked questions from employers and employees.

In this video, Ben IV Laverty discusses the electronic reporting of OSHA 300 Logs for California, that is a requirement starting July 1st 2018.

After several years of back and forth it appears the federal government is requiring employers in the state of California to submit Osha 300 forms to the federal government by July 1^st of this year!

This is not retroactive to the year 2016 but 2017 will need to be submitted this year.

Many employers with over 20 employees must submit.  Farms, construction and manufacturing are required to report if they have employed over 19 employees in the past year.