Employee safety: injury prevention programs.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 establishes certain safety and other responsibilities of employers and employees. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health enforces and administers the act's provisions. The act requires the division to issue a citation to an employer for specified violations of the act's provisions, as provided. The act requires every employer to establish, implement, and maintain an effective injury prevention program. The act requires the program to be written, except as specified, and to include certain elements. The act requires the employer to identify a person responsible for implementing the program and to correct unsafe and unhealthy conditions and work practices in a timely manner based on the severity of the hazard. This bill, commencing July 1, 2017, would require an employer to keep a complete, updated copy of the written injury prevention program at each worksite with 3 or more employees and to make it available to any employee upon oral request. The bill would require the worksite copy to be in English and in the language spoken by the majority of the employees at the worksite, as specified. The bill would also require an employer to inform each employee and each new hire of the availability of, and of the employee's rights with respect to inspecting and receiving, a copy of the written injury prevention program, as specified. This bill also would require an employer who receives a written request for a copy of the written injury prevention program from a current employee, or his or her authorized representative, to comply within 5 business days and to provide the copy at no cost. The bill would entitle an employee to injunctive relief if an employer has not timely responded to a written request for a complete copy of the written injury prevention program and has failed to comply with the employee's subsequent written demand for compliance unless the division has cited the employer for failing to comply before the employee undertakes the action seeking injunctive relief.