FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2003
CONTACT:
Christine Baker
415-703-4220
CHSWC Issues 2002-2003 Annual Report on California's
Health, Safety and Workers' Compensation Systems
SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers'
Compensation (CHSWC) has issued its ninth Annual Report for 2002-2003 of
its activities to improve vital programs affecting nearly all Californians.
This Annual Report includes CHSWC's recommendations that were incorporated
in the recently signed workers' compensation bills - SB 228 and AB 227 -
as well as additional recommendations for legislative and administrative
changes.
Since its beginning, CHSWC has engaged in several projects
and studies to evaluate how certain areas of the California workers' compensation
system have been affected by the reform legislation and other influences,
such as the economy. CHSWC has directed its efforts to identify and assess
problems and to provide an empirical basis for recommendations and/or further
investigations.
CHSWC recommendations in the 2002-2003 Annual Report focus
on system improvements which will benefit workers and employers:
CHSWC is charged with overseeing the health and safety and workers' compensation
systems in California and recommending administrative or legislative modifications
to improve their operation. The Commission was established to conduct a
continuing examination of the workers' compensation system and of the state's
activities to prevent industrial injuries and occupational diseases and
to examine those programs in other states.
Since its inception in 1994, CHSWC has held meetings, conducted fact-finding
hearings, and directed several studies to determine how these crucial programs
are serving California employees and employers. These studies, conducted
by independent research organizations under contract with CHSWC, and other
activities were aided by the involvement of state agency personnel and interested
members of the workers' compensation community. This cooperative public-private
partnership continues to work together to identify, describe, measure and
propose solutions to problems and difficulties in the current health and
safety and workers' compensation systems.
CHSWC's 2002-2003 Annual Report and other publications are available at
CHSWC's home page at www.dir.ca.gov/chswc. A copy of the CHSWC 2002-2003
Annual Report may be obtained at no charge by writing to the Commission
on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation, 455 Golden Gate Avenue,
10th Floor, San Francisco, California 94102, by calling (415) 703-4220,
by faxing a request to (415) 703-4234, or by emailing chswc@dir.ca.gov.
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