1952.170—Description of the plan.
(a)
The State's program will be enforced by the Division of Industrial Safety of the Department of Industrial Relations of the California Agriculture and Services Agency. Current safety and health standards will be continued unless amended by a State occupational safety and health standards board to be created. This board will take the amending action necessary to assure that State standards are as effective as those established under the Federal program. Appeals from the granting or denial of requests for variances will also come within the jurisdiction of this board. Administrative adjudications will be the responsibility of the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board.
(b)
The State program is expected to extend its protection to all employees in the State (including those employed by it and its political subdivisions) except those employed by Federal agencies, certain maritime workers, household domestic service workers, and railroad workers not employed in railroad shops. (It is assumed that activities excluded from the Occupational Safety and Health Act's jurisdiction by section 4(b)(1) (29 U.S.C. 653(b)(1)) will also be excluded from the State's jurisdiction under this plan.)
(c)
The plan includes procedures for providing prompt and effective standards for the protection of employees against new and unforeseen hazards and for furnishing information to employees on hazards, precautions, symptoms, and emergency treatment; and procedures for variances and the protection of employee from hazards. It provides employer and employee representatives an opportunity to accompany inspectors and call attention to possible violations before, during, and after inspections, protection of employees against discharge or discrimination in terms and conditions of employment, notice to employees or their representatives when no compliance action is taken upon complaints, including informal review, notice to employees of their protections and obligations, adequate safeguards to protect trade secrets, prompt notice to employers and employees of alleged violations of standards and abatement requirements, effective remedies against employers, and the right to review alleged violations, abatement periods, and proposed penalties with opportunity for employee participation in the review proceedings; procedures for prompt restraint or elimination of imminent danger conditions, and procedures for inspection in response to complaints.
(d)
Based on an analysis of California's standards comparison, the State's standards corresponding to subparts F and K of this part, and § 1910.263 of this (chapter) in subpart R of this part, of the OSHA standards have been determined to be at least as effective. These State standards contain no product standards corresponding to subpart F State's developmental schedule provides that the remaining subparts will be covered by corresponding State standards which are at least as effective within 1 year of plan approval.
(e)
The plan includes a statement of the Governor's support for the proposed legislation and a statement of legal opinion that it will meet the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and is consistent with the constitution and laws of California. The plan sets out goals and provides a timetable for bringing it into full conformity with part 1902 of this chapter upon enactment of the proposed legislation by the State legislature. A merit system of personnel administration will be used. In addition, efforts to achieve voluntary compliance by employers and employees will include both on- and off-site consultations. The plan is supplemented by letters dated March 21, 1973, and April 10, 1973, from A. J. Reis, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health of the Agriculture and Service Agency of the State of California.