California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has penalized San Pedro’s Harbor Animal Services Center $563,250 for permitting overcrowding that led to worker injuries, including a May 2024 mauling and hospitalization of a supervisor.  According to the LA Times, the victim was getting a dog out of its kennel to show to a rescue group when it “flipped out” and attacked her leg.

Cal/OSHA found serious training and safety issues, including:

• Insufficient training;
• Animal overcrowding;
• Lack of proper personal protective equipment; and
• No effective communication system to permit rapid emergency response.

Debra Lee, Cal/OSHA Chief, stated: “This incident underscores the severe consequences that arise when employers fail to take proper measures to protect their staff from preventable risks. While we cannot undo the harm caused, we can hold employers accountable. Every employee deserves a workplace that prioritizes their health and safety.”

Take-Away:

Attention to and investment in workplace safety and accident prevention are not  backburner matters.

For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

See also:

• Peer into the Year: Annual Virtual Seminar for Employers, Sessions on January 17 and February 28, 2025
• Chill Skill: California’s New Indoor Heat Rules July 23, 2024 (August 2, 2024)
• Workplace Violence: California Employers Must Implement Comprehensive Prevention Plans and Training by July 1, 2024 (Nov. 17, 2023)

Helena Kobrin
January 3, 2025