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
