California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has penalized Van Nuys’ Parkwood Landscape Maintenance $276,425 for deliberately and knowingly violating state heat illness prevention regulations.
Cal/OSHA found the company:
- Failed to provide access to water or shaded areas;
- Did not conduct heat-related illness prevention training;
- Lacked written procedures for addressing high temperature work conditions in; and
- Required employees to purchase their own drinking water.
Marking its first willful heat violation citation, Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee stated: “Employers have a responsibility to protect their workers from the dangers of extreme heat. It is unacceptable for any business to blatantly ignore safety protocols, putting their employees at serious risk.”
Take-Aways:
Covered employers must correctly implement and comply with all applicable outdoor and indoor heat illness prevention procedures.
For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.
See also:
- Maul Wake-Up Call – Cal/OSHA Fines LA Animal Shelter For Overcrowding, Staff Injuries (January 3, 2025)
- Wise Up: Annual Virtual Seminar for Employers, on January 17 and Feb. 28, 2025
- Chill Skill: California’s New Indoor Heat Rules July 23, 2024 (August 2, 2024)
Cindy Bamforth
January 10, 2025