Bill Text: CA SB1426 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Occupational safety and health: injury and illness prevention programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-25 - From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. [SB1426 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB1426-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  March 25, 2020

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1426

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Introduced by Senator Bradford

February 21, 2020

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An act to amend Section 6310 6401.7 of the Labor Code, relating to occupational safety and health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1426, as amended, Bradford. Occupational safety and health: complaints: retaliation. injury and illness prevention programs.

Existing law grants the Division of Occupational Safety and Health power, jurisdiction, and supervision over every employment and place of employment for purposes of adequately enforcing and administering occupational safety laws. Existing law establishes the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board within Department of Industrial Relations and commits to it the duty of promulgating occupational safety and health standards and orders. Existing law requires employers to furnish a place of employment that is safe and requires every employer to establish, implement, and maintain an effective injury prevention program, which includes identifying a person or persons to be responsible for implementing the program.

Existing law requires employers to keep appropriate records of steps taken to implement and maintain the program. Existing law authorizes an employer in the construction industry who is required to be licensed under the Contractors’ State License Law to use records relating to employee training provided to the employer in connection with an occupational safety and health training program approved pursuant to that law. Existing law requires these employers in the construction industry to keep only records of those steps taken to implement and maintain the program with respect to hazards specific to an employee’s job duties. Existing law exempts from these recordkeeping provisions a public entity, other than a state agency, that is a member of, or created by, a joint powers agreement.

This bill would delete that exemption, thereby making public entities, other than state agencies, that are members of, or created by, a joint powers agreement, subject to those recordkeeping requirements.

Under existing law, it is unlawful to discharge or discriminate against an employee for making a complaint regarding employee safety or health, instituting or testifying in a proceeding relating to the employee’s rights, participating in an occupational health and safety committee, or reporting a work-related fatality, injury, or illness. Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for an employer to willfully refuse to rehire, promote, or otherwise restore an employee who has been determined to be eligible for rehiring or promotion, as specified.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 6401.7 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

6401.7.

 (a) Every employer shall establish, implement, and maintain an effective injury prevention program. The program shall be written, except as provided in subdivision (e), and shall include, but not be limited to, the following elements:

(1) Identification of the person or persons responsible for implementing the program.

(2) The employer’s system for identifying and evaluating workplace hazards, including scheduled periodic inspections to identify unsafe conditions and work practices.

(3) The employer’s methods and procedures for correcting unsafe or unhealthy conditions and work practices in a timely manner.

(4) An occupational health and safety training program designed to instruct employees in general safe and healthy work practices and to provide specific instruction with respect to hazards specific to each employee’s job assignment.

(5) The employer’s system for communicating with employees on occupational health and safety matters, including provisions designed to encourage employees to inform the employer of hazards at the worksite without fear of reprisal.

(6) The employer’s system for ensuring that employees comply with safe and healthy work practices, which may include disciplinary action.

(b) The employer shall correct unsafe and unhealthy conditions and work practices in a timely manner based on the severity of the hazard.

(c) The employer shall train all employees when the training program is first established, all new employees, and all employees given a new job assignment, and shall train employees whenever new substances, processes, procedures, or equipment are introduced to the workplace and represent a new hazard, and whenever the employer receives notification of a new or previously unrecognized hazard. An employer in the construction industry who is required to be licensed under Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code may use employee training provided to the employer’s employees under a construction industry occupational safety and health training program approved by the division to comply with the requirements of subdivision (a) relating to employee training, and shall only be required to provide training on hazards specific to an employee’s job duties.

(d) The employer shall keep appropriate records of steps taken to implement and maintain the program. An employer in the construction industry who is required to be licensed under Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code may use records relating to employee training provided to the employer in connection with an occupational safety and health training program approved by the division to comply with this subdivision, and shall only be required to keep records of those steps taken to implement and maintain the program with respect to hazards specific to an employee’s job duties.

(e) (1) The standards board shall adopt a standard setting forth the employer’s duties under this section, on or before January 1, 1991, consistent with the requirements specified in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), and (d). The standards board, in adopting the standard, shall include substantial compliance criteria for use in evaluating an employer’s injury prevention program. The board may adopt less stringent criteria for employers with few employees and for employers in industries with insignificant occupational safety or health hazards.

(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), for employers with fewer than 20 employees who are in industries that are not on a designated list of high hazard industries and who have a workers’ compensation experience modification rate of 1.1 or less, and for any employers with fewer than 20 employees who are in industries that are on a designated list of low hazard industries, the board shall adopt a standard setting forth the employer’s duties under this section consistent with the requirements specified in subdivisions (a), (b), and (c), except that the standard shall only require written documentation to the extent of documenting the person or persons responsible for implementing the program pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), keeping a record of periodic inspections pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), and keeping a record of employee training pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (a). To any extent beyond the specifications of this subdivision, the standard shall not require the employer to keep the records specified in subdivision (d).

(3) (A) The division shall establish a list of high hazard industries using the methods prescribed in Section 6314.1 for identifying and targeting employers in high hazard industries. For purposes of this subdivision, the “designated list of high hazard industries” shall be the list established pursuant to this paragraph.

(B) For the purpose of implementing this subdivision, the Department of Industrial Relations shall periodically review, and as necessary revise, the list.

(4) For the purpose of implementing this subdivision, the Department of Industrial Relations shall also establish a list of low hazard industries, and shall periodically review, and as necessary revise, that list.

(f) The standard adopted pursuant to subdivision (e) shall specifically permit employer and employee occupational safety and health committees to be included in the employer’s injury prevention program. The board shall establish criteria for use in evaluating employer and employee occupational safety and health committees. The criteria shall include minimum duties, including the following:

(1) Review of the employer’s periodic, scheduled worksite inspections; investigation of causes of incidents resulting in injury, illness, or exposure to hazardous substances; and investigation of any alleged hazardous condition brought to the attention of any committee member. When determined necessary by the committee, the committee may conduct its own inspections and investigations.

(2) (A) Upon request from the division, verification of abatement action taken by the employer as specified in division citations.

(B) If an employer’s occupational safety and health committee meets the criteria established by the board, it shall be presumed to be in substantial compliance with paragraph (5) of subdivision (a).

(g) The division shall adopt regulations specifying the procedures for selecting employee representatives for employer-employee occupational health and safety committees when these procedures are not specified in an applicable collective bargaining agreement. No employee or employee organization shall be held liable for any act or omission in connection with a health and safety committee.

(h) The employer’s injury prevention program, as required by this section, shall cover all of the employer’s employees and all other workers who the employer controls or directs and directly supervises on the job to the extent these workers are exposed to worksite and job assignment specific hazards. Nothing in this subdivision shall affect the obligations of a contractor or other employer that controls or directs and directly supervises its own employees on the job.

(i) When a contractor supplies its employee to a state agency employer on a temporary basis, the state agency employer may assess a fee upon the contractor to reimburse the state agency for the additional costs, if any, of including the contract employee within the state agency’s injury prevention program.

(j) (1) The division shall prepare a Model Injury and Illness Prevention Program for Non-High-Hazard Employment, and shall make copies of the model program prepared pursuant to this subdivision available to employers, upon request, for posting in the workplace. An employer who adopts and implements the model program prepared by the division pursuant to this paragraph in good faith shall not be assessed a civil penalty for the first citation for a violation of this section issued after the employer’s adoption and implementation of the model program.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, the division shall establish a list of non-high-hazard industries in California. These industries, identified by their Standard Industrial Classification Codes, as published by the United States Office of Management and Budget in the Manual of Standard Industrial Classification Codes, 1987 Edition, are apparel and accessory stores (Code 56), eating and drinking places (Code 58), miscellaneous retail (Code 59), finance, insurance, and real estate (Codes 60–67), personal services (Code 72), business services (Code 73), motion pictures (Code 78) except motion picture production and allied services (Code 781), legal services (Code 81), educational services (Code 82), social services (Code 83), museums, art galleries, and botanical and zoological gardens (Code 84), membership organizations (Code 86), engineering, accounting, research, management, and related services (Code 87), private households (Code 88), and miscellaneous services (Code 89). To further identify industries that may be included on the list, the division shall also consider data from a rating organization, as defined in Section 11750.1 of the Insurance Code, and all other appropriate information. The list shall be established by June 30, 1994, and shall be reviewed, and as necessary revised, biennially.

(3) The division shall prepare a Model Injury and Illness Prevention Program for Employers in Industries with Intermittent Employment, and shall determine which industries have historically utilized seasonal or intermittent employees. An employer in an industry determined by the division to have historically utilized seasonal or intermittent employees shall be deemed to have complied with the requirements of subdivision (a) with respect to a written injury prevention program if the employer adopts the model program prepared by the division pursuant to this paragraph and complies with any instructions relating thereto.

(k)With respect to any county, city, city and county, or district, or any public or quasi-public corporation or public agency therein, including any public entity, other than a state agency, that is a member of, or created by, a joint powers agreement, subdivision (d) shall not apply.

(l)

(k) Every workers’ compensation insurer shall conduct a review, including a written report as specified below, of the injury and illness prevention program (IIPP) of each of its insureds with an experience modification of 2.0 or greater within six months of the commencement of the initial insurance policy term. The review shall determine whether the insured has implemented all of the required components of the IIPP, and evaluate their effectiveness. The training component of the IIPP shall be evaluated to determine whether training is provided to line employees, supervisors, and upper level management, and effectively imparts the information and skills each of these groups needs to ensure that all of the insured’s specific health and safety issues are fully addressed by the insured. The reviewer shall prepare a detailed written report specifying the findings of the review and all recommended changes deemed necessary to make the IIPP effective. The reviewer shall be or work under the direction of a licensed California professional engineer, certified safety professional, or a certified industrial hygienist.

SECTION 1.Section 6310 of the Labor Code is amended to read:

6310.

(a)A person shall not discharge or in any manner discriminate against any employee because the employee has done any of the following:

(1)Made an oral or written complaint to the division, other governmental agencies having statutory responsibility for or assisting the division with reference to employee safety or health, their employer, or their employer’s representative.

(2)Instituted or caused to be instituted a proceeding under or relating to the employee’s rights or has testified or is about to testify in the proceeding or because of the exercise by the employee on behalf of the employee or others of any rights afforded the employee.

(3)Participated in an occupational health and safety committee established pursuant to Section 6401.7.

(4)Reported a work-related fatality, injury, or illness, requested access to occupational injury or illness reports and records that are made or maintained pursuant to Subchapter 1 (commencing with Section 14000) of Chapter 7 of Division 1 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, or exercised any other rights protected by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.), except in cases where the employee alleges they have been retaliated against because they have filed or made known their intention to file a workers’ compensation claim pursuant to Section 132a, which is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.

(b)An employee who is discharged, threatened with discharge, demoted, suspended, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment by their employer because the employee has made a bona fide oral or written complaint to the division, other governmental agencies having statutory responsibility for or assisting the division with reference to employee safety or health, their employer, or the employer’s representative, of unsafe working conditions, or work practices, in their employment or place of employment, or has participated in an employer-employee occupational safety and health committee, shall be entitled to reinstatement and reimbursement for lost wages and work benefits caused by the acts of the employer. An employer who willfully refuses to rehire, promote, or otherwise restore an employee or former employee who has been determined to be eligible for rehiring or promotion by a grievance procedure, arbitration, or hearing authorized by law, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c)An employer, or a person acting on behalf of the employer, shall not retaliate against an employee because the employee is a family member of a person who has, or is perceived to have, engaged in any acts protected by this section.

(d)For purposes of this section, “employer” or “a person acting on behalf of the employer” includes, but is not limited to, a client employer as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 2810.3 and an employer listed in subdivision (b) of Section 6400.