Occupational safety and health: permanent variances.

Existing law establishes the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board in the Department of Industrial Relations and authorizes the board to adopt, amend, or repeal employment safety and health standards and orders. Existing law authorizes the board, upon the application of an employer, to grant a permanent variance from an occupational standard or order after specified notice and hearing requirements regarding employees or employee representatives are met. This bill would, when the request for a permanent variance pertains to a conveyance covered by the elevator safety orders, require the applicant to provide the required notice regarding the hearing to the local union representing elevator workers and to those workers who will be performing the tasks pursuant to the proposed variance, or their authorized representative. The bill would grant party status at the hearing to those workers or their authorized representative upon their request to the board.