Return of the Rush Hour: Avoid Increased Risk with Safe Driving

Author, Megan Lockhart, Marketing & Media Communications Special, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As students return to the classroom, the back to school traffic has also resumed. With more cars on the roads, this leads to more risk for commercial vehicles making their daily commutes.

By the time Labor Day passes, most school districts and universities in the nation have started classes again, and with that, an increase in traffic in the mornings and afternoons has also resumed. The roads are flooded with school buses, parents, carpoolers, and college students rushing to their destinations. At the same time, the normal work commute continues, including many commercial and company-owned fleet vehicles.

In 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that the rate of large truck fatal crashes was highest in the months August through October.

In order to keep their drivers safe, employers should educate their employees on the added hazards on the road this time of year and revisit training topics related to defensive and distracted driving.

The SafetyOne™ platform offers driver safety resources to help employers prevent auto accidents, with many toolbox talks and a library of online training courses. 

Additionally, anyone can register online for Rancho Mesa’s Fleet Safety webinar with dates throughout September and October.

To learn more about driver safety resources, contact your client technology coordinator.

California’s Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard Approved: What You Need to Know

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved new requirements for California businesses, heat illness prevention for indoor work spaces. The new Section 3396 addition to the California Labor Code will go into effect as early as August 1, 2024.

 The law states that requirements apply to “all indoor work areas where the temperature equals or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present.”

 For work environments such as warehouses, restaurants, and manufacturing plants, temperatures can rise dangerously high, putting employees at risk for heat illness. Let’s take a look into the new requirements for employers. 

1. Provide access to cool-down areas, and encourage employees to take cool-down rests.

2. Provide access to potable water that is fresh, suitably cool, free of charge, and located as close as possible to indoor cool-down area.

3. Monitor employee symptoms and provide appropriate first aid and emergency response if they exhibit or report signs of heat illness.

4. Closely observe new employees for the first 14 days of employment as they acclimatize.

5. Provide employees and supervisors with training on topics such as heat risk factors, symptoms of heat illness, water consumption, and emergency procedures.

6. Establish, implement and maintain a written Heat Illness Prevention plan for the work environment.

Some additional requirements also apply when the temperature or heat index reaches or exceeds 87 degrees while employers are present, or the temperature reaches or exceeds 82 degrees and employees wear clothing that restricts heat removal or they work in a high radiant heat area.

 In these cases, employers need to maintain records of their indoor temperature or heat index. They also must initiate engineering, administrative, and personal control measures to reduce the indoor working environment and maintain it below 87 degrees.

 As temperatures continue to soar in many parts of California, employers with employees working indoors in high heat conditions should evaluate their current heat policies to ensure they comply with these impending labor law changes.

 For further information about indoor heat illness prevention compliance, clients should refer to the Cal/OSHA website, which offers resources employers can utilize, including a Sample Written Heat Illness Prevention Plan for Indoor and Outdoor Places of Employment (Model Program). 

Updates to California Healthcare Minimum Wage Policies for 2024

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

This year has seen several changes to minimum wage in the State of California. On January 1, 2024, the California general minimum wage increased to $16 per hour, regardless of tips. However, as of July, several individual industries across the State, including healthcare, saw minimum wage increases. 

While the federal minimum wage rate still stands at $7.25 as per the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), individual states and certain cities may have their own minimums like California. So, be sure to check the updates in the RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal for your specific industry and jurisdiction to ensure your company’s payroll is compliant.

California Healthcare Minimum Wage Rate Changes

Jurisdiction	Industry	Coverage	Minimum Wage as of July 1, 2024
Statewide	General		$16.00
Statewide	Healthcare	Hospitals	$18.00 (delayed, effective date TBD)
Statewide	Healthcare	Clinics and all other healthcare facilities	$21.00 (delayed, effective date TBD)
Statewide	Healthcare	Large employers and integrated healthcare systems	$23.00 (delayed, effective date TBD)

Clients can login to the RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal to review the full minimum and tipped wages for all states under the 2024 State and Local Minimum and Tipped Wage Rates.

Resources and Tools for Completing Your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As July 1st quickly approaches, California businesses are working hard to prepare their Workplace Violence Prevention plans before the deadline. In our aim to serve the needs of our clients, Rancho Mesa has outlined resources we offer to supplement your specific company’s training and plan.

The SafetyOne™ platform and the RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal has the online training topics and recordkeeping tools available for workplace violence prevention.

HR Portal Course

• Preventing Workplace Violence Training for Employees

SafetyOne Courses

• Active Shooter: Surviving an Attack

• Workplace Security

• Workplace Violence

• Workplace Violence in Construction Environments

• Workplace Violence in Food Processing and Handling Environments

• Workplace Violence in Healthcare Facilities

• Workplace Violence in Office Environments

Clients can utilize SafetyOne’s incident report forms or create their own custom forms to collect workplace violence incident data on the job. The information collected in these forms are stored in the SafetyOne administrator website. Forms such as Accident Investigation, Incident Investigation, Incident Witness Statement, and Witness Statement can support clients’ Workplace Violence Prevention plan.

Online training can be used as a tool towards creating a complete Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. However, employers must also train their employees on the specific hazards of their company’s location, and address these in their written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan.

For questions regarding accessing Rancho Mesa resources, clients can contact their client technology coordinator.

Four Weeks of Safety: Important Resources for National Safety Month

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As we hit the halfway mark on the 2024 year, we’ve explored plenty of important topics related to health and safety each month. The month of June is National Safety Month by the National Safety Council (NSC), in partnership with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This month brings attention to safety issues as a whole and highlights important topics each week. So whether our clients are construction leaders or human services professionals, June is an opportunity to evaluate the safety practices of yourself and your workers.

Week 1: Safety Engagement

One of the foundational aspects of cultivating a safe workplace is through intentional participation in safety practices.

“Both employers and employees must be engaged in safety. Working together, employers and employees can develop policies and procedures to identify, monitor, mitigate, and eliminate work-related hazards,” NSC states.

One way Rancho Mesa encourages clients to engage in safety is by offering tools to help best equip them for the task. The SafetyOne™ platform offers weekly toolbox talks that employers can administer to workers on the job. SafetyOne also offers a library of online training courses to encourage safety engagement. The videos and quizzes are taken individually via a web browser. 

The more relevant the employer’s lessons are to the current safety hazards and job tasks, the more valuable the training will be to employees.

Week 2: Roadway Safety

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the leading cause of work-related deaths in the nation are motor vehicle crashes and either the first or second leading cause of death in each major industry. That’s why the NSC has dedicated this week to driving safety.

Rancho Mesa offers a library of driver trainings, both in the form of toolbox talks and online trainings:

Toolbox Talks

• Defensive Driving

• Driving in Wet Conditions

• Like Oil and Water, Drinking And Driving Do Not Mix

• Do Cellular Phones Cause More Vehicle Accidents?

• Motor Vehicles – A Form of Locking Out

• Motor Vehicles – Seat Belts

• No Vehicle Accidents on This Site

• Safety While Refueling Vehicles and Equipment

• Vehicle and Equipment Parking Safety for Landscape Contractors

Online Training

• Driver Safety: The Basics

• Driving Safety

• Driving Defensively

• Distracted Driving

• Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Defensive Driver Training

Rancho Mesa also recently hosted its Fleet Safety Workshop, presented by Travelers Insurance. The recording is now available.

Week 3: Risk Reduction

The best ways to keep employees safe and prevent workplace incidents is by identifying the environmental hazards and addressing them immediately.

According to NSC’s Injury Facts, there were a total of 4,695 preventable workplace deaths and 4.53 million medically consulted injuries in 2022.

Foreseeing potential injuries before they happen mitigates risk. A pivotal part of this process for companies is through observing their work environment. The SafetyOne app offers the Observation tool clients can use to perform safety observations or inspections via a phone or tablet. An issue identified in an observation can be assigned to other employees or emailed to third parties. Once completed, they are automatically documented in the platform.

Additionally, employers create and maintain a written Injury and Illness Prevention  Program (IIPP) and a copy must be made available in the workplace. This week is a good opportunity to revisit your company’s IIPP and make sure it is up to date and covers all job hazards. The Cal/OSHA website offers a model IIPP for both high hazard and non-high hazard industries.

Week 4: Slips, Trips and Falls

As the final topic of the month, slips, trips, and falls are a prevalent hazard across most industries. Whether missing a step down a slippery ladder, losing balance on an aerial lift, or slipping on wet flooring, falls can happen anywhere in the workplace. The best way to prevent these common incidents is to eliminate the hazard initially and make sure employees are trained in the correct safety procedures.

Rancho Mesa offers toolbox talks and online training that covers slip, trip, and fall prevention:

Toolbox Talks

• Slips, Trips and Falls

• Fall Prevention and Guardrails

• Slip and Fall Prevention for Landscape Contractors

• Watch Your Step! Don't Slip & Fall

• Fall Protection

• Avoiding Falls

• Let's Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls

Online Training

• Slips, Trips, and Falls

• Slips, Trips and Falls in Construction Environments

• Slips, Trips, and Falls in Food Processing and Food Handling Environments

• Slips, Trips, and Falls in Healthcare Environments

• Slips, Trips, and Falls in Office Environments

• Fall Protection in Industrial and Construction Environments

As we continue to make our way through National Safety Month, it's a good idea for clients to evaluate any holes in their safety practices. The opportunities employers take to keep workers trained will impact their hazard prevention, and ultimately their incident rate, the rest of the year.

Rancho Mesa is committed to offering the necessary tools to help.

For questions about accessing resources in SafetyOne, clients can reach out to their client technology coordinator.

National Electrical Safety Month: Preventing Hazards in the Construction Industry

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

We’ve just started the month of May, National Electrical Safety month. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) dedicates this month annually to help reduce electrical-related fatalities, injuries, and property loss.

Many Rancho Mesa construction clients not only work with electricity, but specialize in some form of it. So, it's a great opportunity to reevaluate workplace safety and ensure any hazards to shock or fire are addressed.

One of ESFI’s missions is to spread awareness to specific industries that work with and around electricity. Accidents involving electricity can lead to electrocution and flash fire, and the construction industry stands the most risk. The Center for Construction Research and Training found that construction workers account for almost half of all workplace electrocution deaths in the nation.

As we continue through the month of May, it's a good idea to make sure your workers are handling electrical tools and hazards safely. Rancho Mesa offers training resources in the SafetyOne™ app with several online courses relating to electrical safety as well as various toolbox talks.

For more information about the resources Rancho Mesa offers, clients can reach out to their Client Technology Coordinator.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month: Prevent Fleet Accidents Through Training

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month across the nation. The month is dedicated to preventing distractions while driving as well as spreading awareness of these dangers on the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than 3,500 people in the United States were killed due to distracted driving in 2021. The most common forms of distraction are phone use such as texting, scrolling apps, or phone calls. When it comes to fleet and construction vehicles, it's important to make sure your employees are driving safely.

One vital way to prevent accidents on the road is through driver training. The SafetyOne™ platform offers a library of online driver training topics to ensure your drivers are safe on the road.

• Driver Safety: The Basics

• Driving Safety

• Driving Defensively

• Distracted Driving

• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Defensive Driver Training

Additionally, clients can register for Rancho Mesa’s in-person Fleet Safety workshop on Friday, May 17, 2024 at the Mission Valley Library.

To learn more about the training offered in SafetyOne, contact your client technology coordinator.

SafetyOne™ Updates Company News: New Recipient Role Added for Users

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, SafetyOne™ released new updates to the Company News feature of the platform. These updates include a new company news recipient user and added email notifications for all users.

A new “Recipient” role is now available specifically for receiving company notifications. Users who are assigned to this role do not need access to the mobile app or website, so they won't need to set up a password, and will receive all company news alerts they are assigned via email.

If the user with a Recipient role is switched to a different role in the future, they will be sent an email to create their login information.

Administrators can assign recipient users to their designated projects and when they send out Company News to that project, recipient users will receive it as an email. All users assigned to that project with the mobile app will also get both a notification on their phone immediately and an email.

These new features contribute to the flexibility of SafetyOne and our effort to continually improve user experience.

For questions on how to use these new additions, clients can contact their client technology coordinator, or view our Frequently Asked Questions on the Rancho Mesa website.

California Enacts Strict Updates to Lead Exposure Regulations

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, the Cal/OSHA Standards board approved stricter standards for occupational lead exposure in both the construction industry and general industry.

Effective January 1, 2025, the standards lowered the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) by 80% and the Action Limit (AL) by 93%, a vastly stringent policy compared to previous regulations.

The Permissible Exposure Limit is the legal limit that an employee can be exposed to a chemical substance or physical agent. The previous PEL for lead was 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and has now been reduced to 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air. 

The Action Limit is the maximum value that can be reached before an action is needed to correct the issue. The previous lead level AL was 30 micrograms per cubic meter of air and is now only 2 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

With these limits reduced, employers must make changes in order to comply, such as updating their written program, conducting further exposure monitoring, and providing medical surveillance.

• Employers must give workers exposure assessments to determine lead exposure in the blood. If employers do not perform these assessments, they are required to provide respiratory protection, protective work clothing and equipment, medical surveillance, training and posted warning signs.

• If employee exposure reaches the new Action Limit, companies are required to implement a medical surveillance program. This includes medical examinations and procedures at no cost to the employees.

• Employees who have been exposed to lead levels at or above the Action Level must be temporarily removed from work. These employees will have “medical removal protection benefits,” and will not lose earnings, seniority and other employment rights.

In addition to these requirements, exceeding Action Levels of exposure requires employers to provide employees respirators and protective work clothing and equipment, enact hygiene and housekeeping practices, offer lead exposure prevention training, and maintain monitoring and medical records of exposed employees for a minimum of 40 years.

To prepare for these new standards effective next year, clients should conduct new air monitoring tests and exposure assessments soon to ensure they are still compliant with the new exposure limits. If results exceed the new PEL and AL, they have until the end of the year to reduce exposure and remain in compliance. 

For more information regarding these changes, clients can visit the Cal/OSHA website.

California Updates Required Employment Pamphlets

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, the State of California has made several important updates to labor pamphlets that must be provided to employees. 

Employers must provide the updated “Time of Hire” pamphlet to new hires. Created by the California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Workers Compensation, the document defines workers’ compensation and explains how employees can file a claim and gain access to medical care.

Additionally, the Employment Development Department (EDD) updated its “For Your Benefit” pamphlet. Employers are required to provide this both at the employee’s time of hire and their dismissal.

The document outlines benefits provided to employees by the state in the event of their termination or when they take certain leaves of absence. It also informs employees on how to obtain unemployment insurance, the tax requirements for unemployment benefits, which employees are not eligible for unemployment benefits, and who is eligible for state disability insurance.

These pamphlet updates accompany the changes made to California Labor Code section 2810.5 in January 2024, which requires that employers provide employees with a written notice about their wages, such as pay rates, overtime rates, and designated paydays. This notice must also be given to employees when they are hired. If there is a change of information in the notice, they must also provide an updated version within seven days of a change or in the employee’s pay stub by the next pay period.   

With these recent changes now effective, its important for employers to evaluate the materials they provide their employees to ensure compliance. For more information about required employment information or other human resources questions, access Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal.

National Ladder Safety Month: Preventing Injury Through Education

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

March is National Ladder Safety Month. Spearheaded by the American Ladder Institute (ALI), this month is dedicated to promoting safe ladder use. 

Tens of thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths are caused by the improper use of ladders annually. The construction industry is particularly at risk for ladder injuries. Year after year, its one of the top 10 most common OSHA violations in the nation, so this is a good opportunity to evaluate your company’s ladder training and safety protocol. 

Rancho Mesa offers resources in the SafetyOne™ app with online training courses such as general Ladder Safety and Ladder Safety in Construction Environments.

The platform also has the following ladder safety toolbox talks that supervisors can administer to employees:

• Job Built Ladder Safety

• Ladder Types

• Ladder Usage

• Ladder Safety for Landscape Contractors

• Ladder Tips

• Five Ways to Prevent Electrocutions from Portable Ladders

• Ladders and Stairways

Rancho Mesa is also hosting an in-person Ladder Safety workshop on Friday, March 22, which will be recorded and available to view on our website in the coming weeks.

For questions about accessing the online resources in SafetyOne, clients can reach out to their Client Technology Coordinator.

California Rainy Season Offers Online Training Opportunity for Employees

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Californians have experienced record storms this year along with other parts of the United States. However, with Spring on the horizon, construction companies are preparing for rainier months still ahead. When job sites close due to rain and flooding, it's a good opportunity for employees to use that time to revisit safety and operational skills with online training.

When the weather is hazardous and construction jobs must close, it's common for employers to send workers home. This can cause a financial setback not only for the business, but also for the employees who were depending on working those hours.

“On days where it would be unwise to expect employees to get up on a roof or scale a building wall, offer virtual training sessions so your employees can still earn a living, and you skill up your workforce,” Eric Mochnacz, Director of Operations at Red Clover HR, said in his article.

To prepare for days when the weather restricts jobsite work, employers can compile a list of training that can be assigned to employees, such as operation skills and safety procedures relevant to their work in the field. 

“There’s lots of opportunity and potential in planning for bad weather days by building a strong library of virtual training,” Mochnacz said. “When your ability to meet business goals is directly tied to the weather, having contingency plans is crucial for business continuity.”  

Rancho Mesa offers tools for employee online training via both the SafetyOne™ platform and the RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal. SafetyOne holds a library of online training on a wide range of topics in construction safety. RM365 HRAdvantage Portal online training topics include professional development and compliance.

For more information on utilizing Rancho Mesa’s resources, contact your Client Technology Coordinator.

OSHA Form Submission Time: A Refresh

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

It's that time of the year again, when employers review their work-related injuries and illnesses from the past year and fill out their OSHA 300A Form. Companies in designated industries must electronically submit the 300A Form to OSHA by March 2nd, 2024. As this deadline swiftly approaches, let’s review further details of these requirements.

In addition to the 300A, companies with 100 or more employees in high-hazard industries must also submit information from their form 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and Form 301-Injury and Illness Incident Report to OSHA annually.

Furthermore, the 300A Form must also be posted in the workplace, visible to employees, from February 1st to April 30th. The Form 300A does not include personal information such as employee names for confidentiality.

Rancho Mesa clients can utilize the RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal to track their incidents and generate their OSHA 300A Summary along with generate a .csv file that can be used to upload their incident information to OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA).

Employers can electronically submit their injury and illness information via OSHA’s ITA. OSHA changed their login format as of January 2023, so those who have not logged in last year will need to create a new Login.gov account, using their same email address, to access the application.

The forms 300A, 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses and 301-Injury and Illness Incident Report, as well as instructions on how to fill them out can be found in the OSHA Forms for Recording Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses document.

For additional information and detailed instructions on creating a new account, please visit OSHA’s Injury and Reporting webpage.

2024 Sees COVID-19 Claims Reporting Changes in California

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As of January 1, 2024, several COVID-19 claims reporting requirements are changing for employers in the State of California.

Beginning this year, employers are no longer required to report COVID-19 cases to their carrier in order to determine workplace outbreaks.

Additionally, COVID-19 is no longer automatically assumed to be a work-related illness. Previously, if a certain number of employees tested positive for COVID-19 within a specific amount of time, those employees’ workers’ compensation claims were presumed work-related, making them eligible for benefits. Now, if an employee claims a COVID-19 injury, it will be treated as a regular claim instead of a presumed work-related illness.

Also, the time frame for deciding liability in COVID-19 injury claims, previously 30 to 45 days, has now returned to the original 90-day timeframe.

Employers are still required to follow Cal/OSHA’s reporting requirements regarding a COVID-19 case, and clients should be aware of their location’s county health department reporting standards. Although most no longer require reporting, health departments such as Los Angeles County still demand companies report employee COVID-19 cases over a certain number.

For questions regarding these changes, visit  www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus.

California Expands Regulations for Employee Criminal History

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, California updated regulations regarding how employers can use criminal history to make employment decisions.

The new standards come as an update to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and apply to businesses with five or more employees.

The updates have expanded the definition of “applicant” to include any employees who pursue or intend to pursue a new position in the company, as well as those being reviewed due to a change in company management or ownership.

Employers are prohibited from stating in job postings that they will not hire applicants with criminal backgrounds.

“Employers are prohibited from including statements in job advertisements, postings, applications, or other materials that no persons with criminal history will be considered for hire, such as ‘No Felons’ or ‘Must Have Clean Record,’” subsection (a)(2) of the law states.

Furthermore, if an applicant shares their criminal history voluntarily, and is otherwise qualified for the job, the employer cannot take their criminal history into consideration until a conditional job offer has been made to the individual.

The update also adds that if a “a licensing, regulatory, or government agency or board” grants the right to perform the job duty, such as in the form of a certification, the employer should not consider their criminal history a disqualifying factor for the prospective job.

The California Civil Rights Department provides sample notices employers can use to communicate how their criminal history will affect the company’s decision making.

Rancho Mesa aims to provide the resources clients need to make informed employment decisions. For any questions regarding these updates, contact your client technology coordinator.

California Increases Paid Sick Leave for 2024

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The state of California will officially change the paid sick leave (PSL) law for businesses in 2024. Effective January 1, 2024, the amount of PSL employees can take will increase from 24 hours to 40 hours per year.

The decision to make these increases was approved by Governor Newsom this month and includes two methods of allotting paid sick leave to employees, the accrual method of gaining leave hours over a period of time, and the lump sum method which allots a sum of PSL hours to employees each year.

Employers who provide leave via an accrual system must allow employees to accrue at least 24 hours of PSL by their 120th day of employment, and the entire 40 hours by their 200th day of employment. The accrual method normally follows a rate of 1 hour PSL per every 30 hours worked, however, employers can choose how time is earned as long as it meets the new standards.

If companies provide PSL in a lump sum, they must grant the sum of 24 hours of PSL to employees by no later than their 120th day of employment and they must allot them the rest of the leave (and additional 16 hours) by the 200th day of employment.

If a company breaks up the leave allotment into these 120 and 200-day incriminates, they must allow carryover of any unused leave. Employers can also provide the entire 40 hours at the start of employment, or calendar year, by which they do not need to allow for carryover.

The yearly use cap is now 40 hours or five days instead of 24 hours or three days, and the total accrual cap is now 80 hours, instead of 48 hours.

It is important for employers to evaluate their current PSL policies and make necessary changes to ensure they stay in compliance come January 1st.

The new paid sick leave requirement is one of many employment law changes happening in 2024. Rancho Mesa’s upcoming 2024 Employment Law Update webinar on Wednesday, November 8th will cover these topics in further detail.

Safety Evolution: General Contractors Begin Requiring Safety Helmets Over Hard Hats

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The hard hat has long been a staple for construction-site safety. However, a new contender has entered the industry in 2023 as more and more general contractors are requiring safety helmets.

The safety helmet, while similar in form to the normal hard hat, includes added protection such as chin strap, face shield, and ear muffs. These new features allow for the helmet to sit more securely on the head while also protecting the ears from dangerously high noise levels and the eyes from possible debris. 

“Since we made the switch to the new style hard hat, our employees don’t want to go back to the old-style hard hat,” Gilbane Building Company said. “This technology successfully removes the hazard of the hard hat falling off during a task, and wearing the face shield eliminates the possibility of forgetting to wear eye protection.”

While OSHA does not officially require the switch from hard hats to safety helmets, the topic was brought up at the Nation Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Spring Leadership Meeting in June 2023 in which director of OSHA’s Office of the Directorate of Construction, Scott Ketcham, granted insight on OSHA’s plans to improve jobsite safety with elevated standards for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the near future.

“One initiative shared at the meeting is a pilot program for safety helmets meant to eventually replace hardhats as the preferred head protection in construction,” NAHB’s article about the meeting said. “Ketcham noted that 20% of head injuries in construction are the result of slips, trips, and falls and that hardhats do not protect against such injuries while helmets with chinstraps may stay on the head during a fall and offer protection.”

As PPE continues to evolve in the construction industry, it's important for subcontractors to be aware of what might be required of them on their job sites. Although no current laws require safety helmets over hard hats, Rancho Mesa will continue to offer updates as standards change.

SB 553: Governor Signs New Law for Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On September 30, 2023 Governor Newsom signed into law new standards for California companies regarding workplace violence. Effective July 1, 2024, Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) will expand requirements for recordkeeping, injury and illness prevention programs, and employee training.

What do these new regulations define as “workplace violence?” Workplace violence is any act or threat of violence that occurs in a place of employment. The law applies to both verbal and written threats of violence and incidents involving use of a dangerous weapon regardless of whether an employee sustains an injury.

“The threat or use of physical force against an employee that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, psychological trauma, or stress, regardless of whether the employee sustains an injury,” Section (4).(a).(6).(B).(i) writes.

Recordkeeping

While companies are already required to report work-related injuries, now employers also must record every workplace violence incident in a violent incident log. The log includes information about each incident such as the date, time, and location, a detailed description, the people involved, the type of violence, and the consequences of the incident. The log must be retained for five years.  

IIPP

Companies must include a written workplace violence prevention plan in addition to their Incident and Injury Prevention Program (IIPP).

The plan must include procedures for the following:

• The employees responsible for creating and implementing the plan

• The procedures the company will follow in the event of a violent incident, depending on its type 

• Enforcing procedure compliance for both employees and supervisors

• Communicating to employees post-incident recordkeeping and investigation results

• Identifying hazards and corrective procedures

• Investigating and responding after the incident occurred

• Annually evaluating the plans effectiveness and make necessary edits

• Methods for implementing the training and procedures outlined in the plan

Training

SB 553 requires employers to provide workplace violence training to their employees. Training should inform employees of their company’s procedure for handling workplace violence and how they can access the written workplace violence prevention plan.

The training topics should also cover how to report workplace violence, how to respond and seek help in the event of an incident, strategies to avoid physical harm, implementing corrective measures, and information about accessing the violent incident log.

Workplace violence training is required for employees annually, and employers but retain training records for at least one year.

“Training records shall be created and maintained for a minimum of one year and include training dates, contents or a summary of the training sessions, names and qualifications of persons conducting the training, and names and job titles of all persons attending the training sessions,” Section 4.(f).(2) states.

Both the SafetyOne™ platform and the HR Portal offers a range of training related to SB 553’s required topics such as preventing workplace violence, security in the workplace, and workplace stress. 

While the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is required to adopt the new standards no later than December 31, 2025, the law becomes enforceable on July 1, 2024. Exemptions to the new requirements are workplaces who are not open to the public and that have less than 10 employees working at one time as well as employees working from a remote location or in healthcare facilities.

SB 553 contains quite a lot of new requirements that might feel overwhelming for employers. Cal/OSHA is expected to release a model program for the standards including a workplace violence prevention plan in addition to the IIPP and training requirements.

Rancho Mesa will continue to keep clients informed as more resources are released. For any questions regarding this topic, contact your client technology coordinator.

OSHA Officially Rules for Expanded Recordkeeping Requirements for High-Hazard Industries

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) made its final ruling to expand recordkeeping requirements for high-hazard industries, such as construction. The new requirements will take effect January 1, 2024 and will expand on what injury and illness information is needed to be electronically submitted to OSHA.

The requirements state that businesses with 100 or more employees in certain high-hazard industries must now electronically submit information from their Form 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, as well as Form 301-Injury and Illness Incident Report to OSHA annually. This is in addition to Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, which is already required.

Additionally, establishments are required to include their legal company name when making these submissions to OSHA from their injury and illness records.

Companies in high-hazard industries are already required to keep records of their work-related injuries and illnesses; however, this data is now to be submitted to OSHA, and the information gathered will be published on the OSHA website.

“OSHA will use these data to intervene through strategic outreach and enforcement to reduce worker injuries and illnesses in high-hazard industries,” Doug Parker, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, said in OSHA’s press release. “The safety and health community will benefit from the insights this information will provide at the industry level, while workers and employers will be able to make more informed decisions about their workplace's safety and health."

California businesses currently submit their recordkeeping information directly to Federal OSHA. Although the Cal/OSHA board has yet to release information regarding these new requirements, they must choose to uphold the standards set by Fed/OSHA or create stricter requirements. We will keep clients informed as further guidelines are announced.

Fire Prevention Month: Revisiting Fire Preparedness

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

October is Fire Prevention Month. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) dedicated this month to spreading awareness for fire safety and prevention. The construction industry is particularly vulnerable to fire danger, making this a good time to re-evaluate your company’s fire hazards and training protocol. 

Local fire departments responded to an average of 4,300 fires in structures under construction per year from 2016 to 2020, and 4,750 construction fires occurred in 2020 alone. A few of the most common causes of fires on the jobsite include hot work such as welding and soldering, temporary heaters and electrical lighting, flammable liquids and gasses, and smoking.

In addition to the fire hazards in the construction industry, the month of October poses high risk for wildfires across the state of California, especially Southern California. 

“Most fires happen between the months of April and October, as weather becomes warmer and drier,” an article published by CalMatters said. “In Southern California in particular, the hot and dry Santa Ana winds increase wildfire risk in October and November.”

As fire risk increases throughout this month, it's a good idea for clients to evaluate their fire safety programs and eliminate possible hazards. Rancho Mesa offers training resources in the SafetyOne™ app with several online courses for fire prevention.

Additional dates for our Wildfire Prevention and Wildfire Smoke Regulations webinar have been added to the calendar this month if clients are interested in registering.