Cal/OSHA to target ‘egregious violations’ with more staff, criminal prosecutions

The California Department of Industrial Relations and its Division of Occupational Safety and Health announced plans Thursday to hire more investigators to seek “egregious” workplace safety violators and to refer more employers for criminal prosecution.

Plans to bolster recruitment for the unit that is responsible for investigations related to the most serious workplace injuries, including death, is in line with efforts to “tackle more cases and ensure that the most negligent of employers are held accountable,” Cal/OSHA said in a statement.

While recruitment is underway for several leadership positions with the Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations, efforts began in July, when nine positions were filled in satellite offices throughout the state, including a new chief investigator and eight investigative staff.