Cal/OSHA and federal OSHA Differences

• By: JAMES T. DUFOUR, founder and principal of Dufour Legal
• Date: November 11, 2010

When Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, it authorized a national standards and inspection program administered by OSHA, but provided for approved state OSHA plans, which potentially can be quite independent. There are 27 state programs (5 are limited to governmental employees), but only 1 – California – is dramatically different from federal OSHA. This article describes the major differences between the Federal and California OSHA requirements.