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Introduction

This publication was prepared by Cal/OSHA for use by workers, employers, supervisors, job stewards, and safety personnel. It is meant to serve as a quick field reference. It summarizes selected safety standards from the California Code of Regulations, Title 8 (T8 CCR), that pertain to the construction industry. The major subject headings are alphabetized and cross-referenced with highlights when they appear in the text. Applicable Title 8 regulatory references are provided on the right-hand side of the subject statements.

Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations was developed to ensure a safe and healthful work environment for the California workforce by setting minimum standards for workplace safety and health. All California employers and employees, including private contractors and their employees working on federal facilities in California are subject to these regulations.

For employers in the construction industry, specifi c standards are found in the Construction Safety Orders (CSOs), Electrical Safety Orders (ESOs), Tunnel Safety Orders (TSOs), and Compressed Air Safety Orders (CASOs) of T8 CCR. At work sites or during activities for which no specifi c safety orders exist, the General Industry Safety Orders (GISOs) apply.

Work Site Safety

In addition to the general requirement to provide a safe and healthful work site, the California employer is required to do the following:

  • Comply with all applicable Cal/OSHA safety orders.
  • Meet the reporting and recordkeeping requirements for injuries, illnesses, exposures, and deaths.
  • Inform employees of their rights and obligations under the Cal/OSHA Program.
  • Display the Cal/OSHA poster “Safety and Health Protection on the Job.”
  • Implement a workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIP Program).

The most effective way to prevent job-related injuries and illnesses is to implement and maintain a proactive safety program. A proactive safety program is one in which safety is a part of every decision made and activity performed during the course of the workday, the skill level of employees matches the job assignment, appropriate training is provided, and both the employers and the employees help to keep the workplace safe. The benefits of a proactive safety program are numerous and
include the following:

  • Fewer worker injuries
  • Lower cmpensation insurance
  • Lower absenteeism
  • Lower employee turnover
  • Higher job effi ciency
  • Higher employee morale
  • Higher quality of work

A written Injury and Illness Prevention (IIP) Program should be the foundation of every safety plan in California and is required for every workplace regulated under Title 8. A summary of the basic elements of an IIP Program has been included in this publication starting on page 103. Employers are also encouraged to use Cal/OSHA Consultation Service’s model IIP programs, which were developed to help employers design specific IIP programs for their own workplaces.

About Cal/OSHA

Cal/OSHA, also known as the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), is best known for its enforcement inspections and its issuance of citations for noncompliance with the safety orders (SOs).

However, within Cal/OSHA a separate consultation program is carried out by the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service.

The main purpose of the Consultation Service is to reduce worker exposure to job-site hazards by providing free consultation to California’s employers. Because the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service is separate from the Cal/OSHA Enforcement Unit, the consultant does not issue citations. Instead, the consultant presents the employer with a list of violative conditions found, a corrective action plan, and recommendations to better control the hazards at the employer’s workplace.

In addition to consultation and technical support, Cal/OSHA Consultation Service staff gives presentations to industry groups and provides publications, such as this pocket guide, free of charge. Employers may arrange for this free and voluntary service by calling the nearest Cal/OSHA Consultation Office listed in the back of this guide.

Cal/OSHA News

Cal/OSHA has implemented several laws and regulations that affect the construction industry. The following is a summary:

I. Two of the most significant changes are contained in the following Title 8 Sections:

  1. Structural Steel Erection: New additions add comprehensive language to T8 CCR Section 1710.
  2. Wood and Light Gage Steel Frame Construction, Residential/Light Commercial: New Section 1716.2 has specific requirements for this type of construction activity.

II. Assembly Bill 1127 (AB 1127): This legislation became effective on January 1, 2000, and made many changes to the Cal/OSHA program. These changes include the following:

  1. Discrimination complaints: The time period to file a Cal/OSHA discrimination complaint with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has been increased to six months.
  2. Multi-employer work site regulations: AB 1127 added multi-employer work site regulations affecting any work site where more than one employer and his or her employees work. The categories of citable employers are identified in T8 CCR Section 336.10 (see page 117).
  3. Fines or prison terms: AB 1127 increased fines and prison sentences that a court may impose for certain Title 8 violations charged:
    1. Fines for each serious violation can be as high as $25,000, with an initial base penalty of $18,000.
    2. Fines for failure to abate a violation can be as high as $15,000 for each day that the violative condition is not corrected.
  4. Exemption for governmental entities: AB 1127 deleted the exemption from Cal/OSHA civil penalties for governmental entities.
  5. Enforcement of ergonomics: AB 1127 reaffirms the need to enforce the ergonomics standard.

III. Respirator standard (T8 CCR Section 5144): This standard has been amended.

IV. Forklift regulations (T8 CCR Sections 3660-3668): Specific training requirements have been identified).

V. Cal/OSHA Construction Safety and Health Inspection Project (CSHIP): Construction ranks first among private-sector industries in the number of nonfatal injuries, and it ranks second in the number of fatal injuries. Falls from heights of at least one story (usually from roofs and scaffolds) are one of the most common causes of death.

  1. Cal/OSHA will increase enforcement investigations and consultations in the construction industry, and it will emphasize but not be limited to the following:
    1. Fall hazards
    2. Employee training
    3. Electrical hazards
    4. Machinery, equipment, and tool-related hazards (see also “Lock-out/Block-out Procedures”)
    5. Excavation and trenching hazards
    6. Heat stress
    7. Musculoskeletal hazards (see “Ergonomics”)
    8. Hazards causing chronic illnesses, such as exposure to lead, asbestos, and other cancer-causing products (see “Carcinogens”)
  2. CSHIP began in June 2000 and is a part of Cal/OSHA's Strategic Plan to reduce the number of fatal and nonfatal serious construction injuries and illnesses.

IMPORTANT
A boom in construction increases the demand for new workers along with the importance of communication about safety standards and work practices.

Employers must ensure that new workers understand what constitutes hazards and unsafe work practices. Employers must encourage workers to express safety concerns and to make suggestions during safety meetings and training. To ensure effective communication, provisions must be made for workers who do not speak English, who have limited comprehension of English, or who speak English as a second language.

See also the “Training” section of this publication.