California Farm Bureau Labor Affairs Director Bryan Little is urging the standards board governing the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, to invest more resources into educating small businesses on complex workplace violence regulations heading their way.
Senate Bill 553 requires employers to implement yet another prevention program, similar to one already in the works at Cal/OSHA. During a board hearing Thursday, Little said the new law has very specific, complex requirements for record keeping, hazard assessments and periodic training. He has been struggling to explain the bill’s many provisions to farm bureau members before it takes effect next July.
By the way: Michael Miiller, government relations director at the California Association of Winegrape Growers, was concerned about the cost implications on the construction industry for more stringent regulations to prevent lead exposure.
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Miiller said the cost of one industry often affects another. High construction costs, he explained, have made it more expensive to rebuild after wildfires, which has made property insurance hard to come by for many vineyards. He said the high costs also handicap efforts to build more farmworker housing.
“The ripple effects are felt throughout several industries and it really does affect the quality of life of growers, our employees and the entire industry,” he said.
