If CAL/OSHA issues safety and health citation(s), treat it as time sensitive. Your immediate goals are to understand the citation, preserve appeal rights, correct any hazards, and document your response carefully.
If CAL/OSHA issues safety and health citation(s), treat it as time sensitive. Your immediate goals are to understand the citation, preserve appeal rights, correct any hazards, and document your response carefully.
- Read the citation immediately. Identify each citation item, the regulation cited, the alleged facts, the classification, proposed penalty, and abatement deadline.
- Calendar the appeal deadline. Employers generally have 15 working days from receipt of the citation to file an appeal with the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board.
- Decide whether to appeal. You may be able to challenge the violation, classification, penalty amount, abatement date, or required corrective action.
- Do not ignore abatement. Even if you plan to appeal, begin evaluating and correcting the alleged hazard unless legal counsel advises otherwise.
- Document corrective actions. Keep photos, training records, inspection notes, repair records, purchase orders, revised procedures, and communications related to abatement.
- Consider requesting an informal conference. You may be able to discuss the citation with the issuing CAL/OSHA district office, but do not assume this extends the appeal deadline.
- Notify the right internal stakeholders. Involve safety leadership, operations, HR, risk management, and legal counsel as appropriate.
- Avoid unnecessary admissions. Be cooperative and factual but avoid making written admissions before the citation and evidence are reviewed.
- Prepare your evidence. Gather safety program materials, training records, supervision records, prior inspections, corrective actions, and facts that may contradict the citation.
- Consult qualified help. Consider speaking with a California workplace safety attorney or CAL/OSHA consultant, especially for serious, repeat, willful, injury-related, or high-penalty citations.
Bottom line: Calendar the 15-working-day appeal deadline, start abatement planning, preserve evidence, and decide quickly whether to appeal. This is general information, not legal advice. For a specific citation, consult a qualified California workplace safety attorney or CAL/OSHA professional. Commandpostsafety.com
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