OSHA

OSHA Posting and Submitting Guide

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. would like to remind its clients that February 1, 2022 marks the start of the OSHA Form 300A Summary posting period. The OSHA Form 300A is a summary of the company's annual work-related injuries and illnesses. It must be posted from February 1, 2022 to April 30, 2022.

Revised 2022 COVID-19 Prevention Program Template Now Available

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa has revised its written COVID-19 Prevention Program Template based on the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) adopted by California’s Department of Industrial Relations Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) in December 2021 and effective as of January 14, 2022.

OSHA Issues ETS Addressing Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing

Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect more than 84 million workers from the spread of the coronavirus on the job.

SB 606 Broadens Cal/OSHA’s Enforcement Reach

Author, Sam Brown, Vice President, Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law Senate Bill 606 (SB 606), greatly expanding Cal/OSHA’s enforcement powers and monetary penalty amounts. The new law will take effect January 1, 2022, so California employers have only a few months to tighten their safety practices or face steep monetary fines.

How Janitorial Firms Can Avoid OSHA Fines

Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Avoiding government standards in the janitorial industry can be costly in the event of an unexpected OSHA visit or after a serious injury. In an industry that generally has lean profit margins, OSHA fines could be detrimental to the stability of the business. Knowing the most common OSHA violations and protecting your business from them can help insulate your organization from costly fines while also keeping your company safe. Here are five of the most common OSHA violations in the janitorial industry and strategies to avoid potential fines.

Top Five OSHA Citations the Tree Care Industry Should Avoid

Author, Rory Anderson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Every year, Federal OSHA conducts hundreds of inspections and issues costly citations to tree care companies. Although the Occupational Health OSHA citations can be issued for many reasons, there are five specific citations that continually plague the tree care industry every year.

ANSI Releases New Mobile Elevating Work Platforms Standards

Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Last year, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) updated their aerial lift standard, starting with renaming it Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP). This has been in the works since 2018 and is designed to align training, certifications, and equipment used on a more universal standard. According to the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), roughly 26 people die from MEWP each year. This prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to increase training requirements to keep accidents to a minimum. Obviously, MEWP are essential for completing a wide variety of construction jobs. So, what should you, as a business owner, be doing to ensure your employees are safe and in compliance when OSHA comes by your jobsites?

Californians Wait for Revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Over the past few weeks, Californians have eagerly awaited news from the State’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Standards Board) on revisions to Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its latest guidance that ease mask wearing for those who are fully vaccinated.

Implementing an Effective Fall Safety Program Can Have Serious Impacts

Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Year after year, falls are among the leading type of workers’ compensation claims and generate the highest claim costs. They account for multiple infractions on the top 10 most frequently cited standards, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. How can you, as a business owner, control your exposure and keep your employees productive and healthy?

Cal/OSHA 300A Form Posting Begins February 1st

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. would like to remind its clients that February 1, 2019 marks the start of the Cal/OSHA Form 300A posting period. The Cal/OSHA Form 300A is a summary of the company's annual work-related injuries and illnesses. It must be posted from February 1, 2019 to April 30, 2019.

CAL/OSHA Adopts Written COVID-19 Prevention Plan

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

On November 19, 2020, California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board adopted temporary emergency standards to protect workers from COVID-19. These standards are expected to go into effect November 30, 2020, upon approval from the Office of Administrative Law.

AB 685 Creates New Notice and Reporting Requirements

Author, Sam Brown, Vice President of the Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services Inc.

On September 17th, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 1159 (SB 1159) and Assembly Bill 685 (AB 685), both COVID-19 related bills. Both pieces of legislation will impact how employers respond to incidents of COVID-19 infections. This article will help business owners understand AB 685’s heightened occupational health and safety rules. Employers also need to understand how AB 685 grants California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) greater enforcement powers.

SB 1159 Is Now Workers’ Compensation Law

Author, Dave Garcia, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As expected, California Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1159 (SB 1159) into law Thursday, September 17, 2020 and it will have several impacts on workers’ compensation and the presumption of the claim. Below is an outline of some of the more important elements of SB 1159. In simple terms, just remember three numbers, 4/4/14 - I’ll explain, later.

Court Agrees Temporary COVID-19 Standards Are Not Needed

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On June 11th, 2020, the D.C. Circuit Court denied the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations’ (AFL-CIO) lawsuit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for not issuing an emergency temporary worker safety standard due to COVID-19.

OSHA Recording Requirements for COVID-19 Cases

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As businesses begin to reopen across the country, employers are now faced with the real possibility that one or more of their employees may be diagnosed with COVID-19. Those who are familiar with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recording requirements may be wondering how to handle an employee COVID-19 case on their OSHA logs.

Cal/OSHA Updates: AB 1805 Changes Definition of Serious Injury or Illness

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

For reporting purposes, California Assembly Bill 1805 (AB 1805) outlines new definitions for what is considered a serious injury or illness. These changes were made to bring California’s laws more in line with Federal OSHA reporting standards. These changes include…

OSHA Penalties Increase in 2020

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On January 15, 2020 the Federal Register published the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Annual Adjustments for 2020. This final rule increases civil penalties the Department of Labor assesses including those issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) based on workplace inspections and potential violations of safety and health standards. The rule is effective January 15, 2020. Beginning January 16, 2020 OSHA civil penalties will increase.

Cal/OSHA Updates: AB 1804 Changes How Injuries and Illnesses Are Reported

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As of January 1, 2020, California Assembly Bill 1804 (AB 1804) changed how an employer reports a serious employee injury or illness to Cal/OSHA.  The bill removes the option to submit the report via email and replaces it with an “online mechanism,” according to Labor Code section 6409.1 (b). Reports may continue to be made via phone.

2020 Promises Growth for Contractors but With a Twist

Author, Kevin Howard, C.R.I.S., Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Based on a recently published survey from the Associated General Contractors of America, 80% of contractors predict growth in 2020…but there is a twist. There is a major labor shortage.

It’s OSHA 300A Time

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The holidays have come and gone and here we are at the end of another great year. Year-end means calendar updates, process changes and document reviews, as well as time to prepare for filing your OSHA 300A form.