Existing law establishes the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations and sets forth its powers and duties, including jurisdiction over all employment and places of employment, with the power necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and safety laws and standards.
Existing law, the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973, requires employers to comply with certain safety and health standards, including the Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez heat illness standard, as specified, and charges the division with enforcement of those provisions. Existing law requires the division to submit to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board a rulemaking proposal to consider revising, among other things, the Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez heat illness standard, as specified. Under existing law, certain knowing, negligent, or willful violations of safety and health standards are punishable as misdemeanors.
This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would ensure that workers know their rights and are prepared to protect themselves during extreme heat-related events.