Employer Responsibilities

California employers have many different responsibilities under the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 and Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations. The following represents a list of the most important ones.

Establish, implement and maintain an Injury and Illness Prevention Program and update it periodically to keep employees safe
Inspect workplace(s) to identify and correct unsafe and hazardous conditions
Make sure employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment
Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards
Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them so employees follow safety and health requirements
Provide medical examinations and training when required by Cal/OSHA standards
Report immediately by telephone or fax to the nearest Cal/OSHA Enforcement Unit district office any serious injury or illness, or death, of an employee occurring in a place of employment or in connection with any employment as required by section 342(a), Title 8, California Code of Regulations (T8CCR). Serious injury or illness is defined in section 330(h), T8CCR
Keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses on the log 300. At the end of the calendar year, copy the totals from the log 300 and transfer the information to the log 300A which must be posted February 1 through April 30 each year, if the employer has 11 or more employees
Post, at a prominent location within the workplace, the Cal/OSHA poster informing employees of their rights and responsibilities
If required to keep one, provide employees, former employees and their representatives access to the Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, Cal/OSHA form 300, at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner
Provide access to employee medical records and exposure records to employees or their authorized representatives
Provide the Cal/OSHA enforcement personnel with names of authorized employee representatives who may be asked to accompany enforcement personnel during an inspection
Do not discriminate against employees who exercise their rights under the California OSH Act
Post Cal/OSHA citations at or near the work area involved. Each citation must remain posted until the violation has been corrected, or for three working days, whichever is longer. Post abatement verification documents or tags
Correct cited violations by the deadline set in the Cal/OSHA citation and submit required abatement verification documentation.