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California Labor Code §6401.7 requires every employer to establish, implement, and maintain an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). This is the foundation of California's workplace safety system.

Cal/OSHA compliance officers may inspect workplaces without advance notice at any reasonable time. Employers are generally required to grant entry. An imminent hazard inspection may occur at any time.

Cal/OSHA requires fall protection (guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest systems) when employees are working at heights of 6 feet or more above a lower level in construction.

Cal/OSHA requires protective systems (shoring, sloping/benching, or trench boxes) for all excavations and trenches 5 feet or more deep where workers will enter. Unprotected trenches are a leading cause of fatalities.

Permit-required confined spaces contain or may contain hazardous atmospheres, material that could engulf a worker, or other serious hazards. Special entry procedures, monitoring, and rescue plans are required.

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) requires standardized 16-section Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Cal/OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) aligns with this format.

Cal/OSHA's heat illness prevention standard requires water, shade, and cool-down periods for outdoor workers when temperatures reach 80°F. High-heat procedures kick in at 95°F.

A willful violation is one committed knowingly, intentionally, or with plain indifference to Cal/OSHA regulations. Willful violations carry much higher penalties than other violation types.

Cal/OSHA requires that all scaffolding be erected and used under the supervision of a competent person, with specific training for workers. This applies to all scaffolding types and heights.

California requires employers to provide all required personal protective equipment at no cost to employees. This includes hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, and respirators when required.

OSHA recordkeeping requires documenting injuries and illnesses that result in death, days away from work, restricted duty, job transfer, loss of consciousness, or medical treatment beyond first aid.

Toolbox talks (also called tailgate meetings) are short, informal safety meetings typically held at the start of a shift to address specific hazards, near-misses, or safety topics relevant to the day's work.

HazCom requires employers to: maintain a written program, ensure all containers are labeled, make SDS accessible to workers, and provide employee training on chemical hazards in the workplace.

Employers are generally required to allow Cal/OSHA compliance officers to inspect their workplaces. Refusing entry without good cause can result in a warrant and additional penalties.

OSHA requires employers to retain injury and illness records (Form 300, 300A, and 301) for five years following the end of the calendar year they cover.

Labor Code §6409.1 requires an employer to report any serious injury, illness, or death of an employee to the nearest Cal/OSHA district office within 8 hours of learning of it.

8 CCR §3203 requires an IIPP to include hazard identification, accident investigation, hazard correction, training, communication, and an assignment of responsibility. A list of bid contracts is unrelated to the IIPP.

8 CCR §3203 requires training when the IIPP is first established, to each new employee, whenever a new substance or process creates a new hazard, and whenever an employee is given a new job assignment for which they were not trained.

8 CCR §3203 requires the IIPP to identify the person or persons with authority and responsibility for implementing the program, so that safety responsibilities are clearly assigned and not left to chance.

A general violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is not likely to cause death or serious physical harm. A serious violation involves a substantial probability of death or serious harm; a willful violation is committed knowingly.

A repeat violation occurs when an employer is cited for a substantially similar violation within a defined look-back period after a previous final citation. Repeat violations carry substantially increased penalties.

8 CCR §5194 requires every container of a hazardous chemical to be labeled with the identity of the chemical and appropriate hazard warnings. An unlabeled container should not be used until it is properly identified and labeled.

Under 8 CCR §5194, the employer must obtain or develop an SDS for each hazardous chemical used and ensure that SDSs are readily accessible to employees during their work shifts in their work area.

8 CCR §1532.1 (Lead in Construction) requires employers to assess worker exposure to lead, and where exposure exceeds limits, to provide controls, training, respiratory protection, hygiene facilities, and medical surveillance.

Asbestos-containing materials were common in older construction. Cal/OSHA requires that suspect materials be presumed asbestos-containing or tested before disturbance, and asbestos work must be performed by properly registered and trained personnel.

Contractors performing asbestos-related work involving 100 square feet or more must be registered to perform asbestos work and use trained, certified workers. This protects workers and the public from asbestos exposure.

8 CCR §3395 high-heat procedures (triggered at 95°F) include effective communication, observing employees for heat illness signs, reminding workers to drink water, and ensuring an effective emergency response.

8 CCR §3395 requires shade that is either open to the air or provided with ventilation/cooling, located as close as practicable to the work area, and sufficient to accommodate the number of employees on a recovery, rest, or meal period.

8 CCR §3395 requires employers to provide enough fresh, pure, and suitably cool potable water so that each employee can drink at least one quart (four 8-ounce cups) per hour for the entire shift.

8 CCR §1670 requires fall protection for construction work at 6 feet or more above a lower level. Acceptable methods include guardrails, safety nets, or a personal fall arrest system. At 12 feet, fall protection is mandatory.

8 CCR §1541.1 requires a competent person — one capable of identifying hazards and authorized to take prompt corrective action — to classify soil and select protective systems such as sloping, shoring, or shielding for excavations.

8 CCR §1541 requires that for trench excavations 4 feet or more deep, a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress be located so workers travel no more than 25 feet laterally to reach it.

California law requires excavators to notify the regional notification center (USA / 811) at least two working days before excavating so utilities can be marked, preventing strikes that cause injury and service disruption.

8 CCR §5157 requires that the atmosphere of a permit-required confined space be tested before entry for oxygen levels, flammable gases/vapors, and toxic air contaminants, with continuous or periodic monitoring as needed.

8 CCR §5157 requires an attendant to remain outside the confined space during entry operations, maintain communication with entrants, monitor conditions, and order evacuation and summon rescue when a hazard is detected.

Under 8 CCR §14300, a case is recordable if it results in death, days away, restricted work, job transfer, loss of consciousness, or medical treatment beyond first aid. A minor cut treated with only first aid is generally not recordable.

8 CCR §14300.32 requires the Form 300A annual summary to be posted in a conspicuous location from February 1 to April 30 of the year following the year the records cover.

California law requires employers to provide required PPE to employees at no cost. Charging employees for required protective equipment is not permitted.

Cal/OSHA construction safety orders require employers to maintain good housekeeping, keeping work areas, passageways, and stairs free of debris and obstructions to prevent slips, trips, and falls.

8 CCR §3203 requires a system for communicating with employees on safety matters, including encouraging employees to report hazards without fear of reprisal. Retaliation against employees for raising safety concerns is unlawful.