The California CHSWC conducted its most recent meeting on September 27th, 2024, at the Elihu Harris State Building. The purpose was to focus on issues related to California workers’ compensation, worker health, workplace safety laws, and the role of healthcare providers.
The mission of this commission is to offer hope that benefits the future of thousands of employees in California. They bring advocates and experts together to discuss and explore the necessary developments. This session comprises members from the government, businesses, and industries, including the labor sector.
The commission also fosters collaboration among various stakeholders, including employees, regulators, and insurance companies. This union significantly impacts the medical professional’s ecosystem. Professionals will not only learn how to manage their workers compensation billing in California during these sessions, but they will also receive additional guidance.
Furthermore, the presentation of such cases at the conference allows for an overview of workplace hazards. These situations demand the establishment of productive strategies, leading to the delivery of excellent care and financial assistance to injured employees.
Recent CA CHSWC Meeting Activities:
The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) mentioned some key activities that took place at that meeting.
- Approval of the minutes from the previous meeting on May 15, 2024.
- Stakeholders presented updates and reports on health and safety issues.
- A presentation on “silicosis” (a lung disease caused by engineered stone).
- Presentation on enforcement of workers’ safety standards.
- Update on the Janitor Time-motion project.
- The team updated public health initiatives to analyze the impact of exposure to engineered stone.
- The participants held a question-and-answer session to clarify the discussed topics.
1) Silicosis in Artificial Stone Fabricators in California:
Robert Harrison, M.D., from the UCSF Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, gave an overview of silicosis at the CA CHCW meeting. Silicosis is a lung disease due to inhaling fine silica dust particles.
A common cause of its occurrence is the fabrication of engineered stone, which contains a high amount of silica and has adverse health effects. Consequently, contractors usually use these stones in the construction of bathroom and kitchen surfaces.
Sentinel California Case Identification Timeline
| Year | Event |
| 2004 | Employed at stone countertop fabrication shop |
| 2013 | Diagnosed with silicosis |
| 2014-2017 | Worsening symptoms and lung function |
| January 2018 | Ineligible for lung transplant |
| September 2018 | Accelerated silicosis causes death |
| January 2019 | CDPH identifies case |
This timeline illustrates the severe health impacts of occupational exposure to silica dust and the progression of silicosis.
Furthermore, studies have shown that workers in the engineered stone industry, who come into contact with these stones, are at a high risk of developing this lung disease. According to the Stone Fabrication Statistics:
- Approximately 10,000 establishments encounter stone fabrication.
- Over 100,000 workers in the industry.
- 12,000+ potential workers
Additionally, participants discussed preventive measures against silicosis. Using protective equipment and maintaining a workplace with good ventilation to reduce dust exposure can reduce the risk. Moreover, they expressed concern that authorities should establish more stringent regulations regarding this issue.
In addition to the other aspects covered in the presentation, the health effects of engineered stone exposure were scrutinized and offered a scale of methods based on their ability to address this issue effectively.
| Hierarchy of Controls | Description | Effectiveness |
| Elimination | Physically remove the hazard | Most Effective |
| Substitution | Replace the hazard with a safer alternative | Very Effective |
| Engineering Controls | Isolate people from the hazard | Effective |
| Administrative Controls | Change the way people work to reduce exposure | Less Effective |
| PPE | Protect the worker with Personal Protective Equipment | Least Effective |
The preceding study demonstrates that physically eliminating the hazard is the most effective way to ensure safety. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is effective only when used correctly and as the last line of defense.
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Through these findings, the California Department of Public Health presented ideas to the commission to overcome silicosis disease among workers.
2) Enforcement of Workers Safety Standards:
The importance of workplace safety has grown over time. We should take innovative approaches and useful solutions into account to guarantee successful healthcare outcomes. These standards are essential to guaranteeing that every employee returns home safely.
Eddie Sanchez and Alexis Nava Teodoro conducted a presentation to enforce the safety standards for workers. They began their presentation by showing a picture of Carlos Castro, who is one of the unfortunate victims of workplace injury. He discusses his thoughts on how a more active Cal-OSHA agency might have prevented the construction injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
Standard vs Capacity
The report highlighted the disparity in standards and capabilities. It also outlined the state of Cal/OSHA and DLSE’s ability to enforce worker safety standards amidst capacity challenges. The highlights of the analysis are:
- New standard protections like the Indoor Heat Standard need enforcement.
- They noted fewer physical inspections and more letter investigations.
- There has been an increase in delays in processing claims, cases, and responses.
- Cal-OSHA has issued fewer citations in 2021 than in the early 2000s, indicating a significant decline over the last 20 years.
- Overworked staff face pressure to close cases quickly, affecting the thoroughness of inspections.
Potential Solution
The research provided three practical strategies as potential solutions to address workforce issues. These strategies aim to remove barriers, create pathways for job opportunities, and retain current employees with better incentives.
- Minimum qualifications are barriers for potential candidates.
- Working people want to fill these positions, but the pipeline to do so isn’t there.
- Current employees and employee representatives have solutions such as competitive compensation, clear promotion pathways, etc.
Lastly, participants shared significant insights on worker safety standards to ensure a protective future for them. The key takeaways are as follows:
- Address staffing shortages and needs for effective worker protection in California.
- Reduced staffing leads to reduced enforcement capabilities.
- The role of CHSWC is beneficial and can help address these problems.
- We need innovative solutions and research into effective pipelines to tackle staffing needs.
3) Janitor Time-Motion Project Update:
The CA CHSWC meeting featured a presentation on the California janitor workload study. The study’s goal is to investigate and compare the hours janitors work on tasks with the industry’s recommended time.
The study, authored by Jiayin Chen, Matthew Zhang, Rachel Wang, Javier Freire, Melissa Afterman, MS, and Carisa Harris-Adamson, PhD, CPE, employs time-motion methods.
According to the study, California’s 278,000 janitors face high injury risks, with a significant incidence rate due to their tasks. Specifically, cleaning tasks contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased their workload and health hazards.
Furthermore, it states that the time recommendations from the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) are based on three key factors: space (including area and fixtures), task, and tool. Thus, these guidelines aim to ensure efficient and effective cleaning operations.
Objectives of the Project:
The objective was to compare ISSA’s time allocation with the actual time spent cleaning at four different venues, categorized by space and task. Additionally, it aims to quantify the difference between the observed time and ISSA’s time allocations for individual workers. The observations on the performance of janitors are
- Discrepancies between ISSA allocated time and the actual time spent.
- Less time spent on cleaning bathrooms and trash removal varies with building usage.
- Potential severe deficiencies in time allocation for tasks.
- Need to revise work allocation to include building capacity and restocking supplies.
The project’s insights will propose important policy updates, benefiting the lives of thousands of janitors statewide.
Fostering Hope: The CA CHSWC Commitment to Worker Safety
In conclusion, the results of the CA CHSWC conference will have a big impact on occupational health and workers’ compensation in California. Expected developments include enhanced silicosis prevention measures, improved janitorial working conditions, and stricter safety standard enforcement.