California State University, Long Beach
PA-15: Workplace Health and Safety

As mandated by Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), CSULB maintains its Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) in full compliance with state requirements. Currently, this IIPP requirement is unique to California, which adopted its own safety and health program in 1972, as permitted by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970.

The CSULB IIPP provides the framework and context for the University’s overall health and safety program, and establishes the University’s commitment to a campus culture that creates a safe and healthy environment for faculty, staff, students, contractors, and visitors. The University also seeks to ensure that all of our employees and contractors are cognizant of the requirements of this regulation and that their health and safety is protected by this program.

The 8 required Injury and Illness Prevention Program elements are:
1. Responsibility
2. Compliance
3. Communication
4. Hazard Assessment
5. Accident/Exposure Investigation
6. Hazard Correction
7. Training and Instruction
8. Recordkeeping

As required by California regulation, all other safety programs and required training are governed by the principles set forth in the CSULB IIPP. Training and inspection requirements for other enforcing agencies and/or certifying entities shall be harmonized to ensure compliance with California requirements and the requirements of the CSULB IIPP. The CSULB IIPP must be considered a dynamic document, and as such will be assessed by the campus as required to ensure that the processes, procedures, and responsibilities described in the IIPP are consistent with current regulatory requirements.

To help meet its workers’ compensation reporting requirements established by OSHA, the university uses a third-party administrator called Sedgwick. Sedgwick’s OSHA-compliant claims management system tracks both claims (e.g. benefit payments) and incidents (e.g. workplace accidents). This systems allows Sedgwick staff to fully identify all OSHA recordable incidents and claims. As a result, Sedgwick sends monthly and year-end logs to the university’s Human Resources Management Department whenever a claim becomes recordable (i.e. it meets certain OSHA requirements)

The University is also subject to inspection and standards enforcement by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) staff. Citations and notification of penalties may be issued for violations of safety and health standards identified during an inspection. The department or administrative area that is responsible for the violation(s) resulting in the citation is responsible for the payment of related penalties.

Cal/OSHA assigns an abatement or correction date for each cited violation. Abatement is usually required within 30 calendar days. The department or administrative area responsible for the violation is responsible for abating the condition which led to the citation. Advice, guidance and assistance, when necessary, is provided by Environmental Health and Safety staff.