"State lawmakers, responding to a report that the agency charged with ensuring worker safety in California has sharply cut back on enforcement of outdoor heat protection laws, said new legislation is needed to protect employees amid escalating periods of extreme heat.

Their comments addressed an investigation by the Los Angeles Times and Capital & Main that found that field inspections by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, dropped by nearly 30% between 2017 and 2023. The number of violations issued to employers during that period fell by more than 40%.

“I’m incredibly disappointed, and I’m actually infuriated,” said Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro), chair of the Labor and Employment Committee.

Ortega, whose committee has heard testimony from farmworkers accusing Cal/OSHA of not enforcing safety laws, said the agency has repeatedly offered the “same excuses” for failing to ramp up inspections as life-threatening heat waves have intensified across California in recent years."

Robert J. Lopez reports for the Los Angeles Times August 21, 2024. [2]