Passage Of Bill To Revamp Cal/OSHA Appeals Seen As Likely, But Not Until 2012

A bill that would make significant changes to the Cal/OSHA Appeals Board process -- the bulk of them strongly opposed by industry -- is being held in committee until next year to give the panel time to consider a range of amendments, but has enough momentum to pass the legislature eventually, sources closely watching the process say. The bill, Senate Bill 829, could address some of the issues, such as a need for broader participation in the handling of appeals, identified in federal OSHA’s special audit of the state occupational safety and health plan, sources have said, although the bill make