Amended in Senate August 18, 2014

Amended in Senate June 17, 2014

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2146


Introduced by Assembly Member Skinner

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Chesbro, Gonzalez, Quirk-Silva, Rodriguez, V. Manuel Pérez,begin delete and Waldronend deletebegin insert Waldron, and Wieckowskiend insert)

(Coauthor: Senator Vidak)

February 20, 2014


An act to add Section 147.4 to the Labor Code, relating to occupational safety.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2146, as amended, Skinner. Occupational safety: firefighters.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations withbegin delete allend delete the power, jurisdiction, and supervision over all employment and places of employmentbegin delete that isend delete necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and safety laws and to protect employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, an independent entity within the department, has the exclusive authority to adopt occupational safety and health standards within the state.

This bill would require the standards board,begin delete within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) of new standards for firefighters’ personal protective equipment,end deletebegin insert by January 1, 2016, and every 5 years thereafter,end insert tobegin delete commenceend deletebegin insert complete a comprehensiveend insert review of existing regulations for personal protectivebegin delete clothing andend delete equipment for firefighters to determine if the standards adopted by thebegin delete NFPAend deletebegin insert National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)end insert provide a greater degree of personal protection to a firefighter. The bill would require thebegin insert standardsend insert board, if it makes that determination in the affirmative, to consider modifying existing regulations for personal protectivebegin delete clothing andend delete equipment for firefighters to reflect the standards adopted by the NFPA as a new safety standard for all employers of firefighters in the state.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 147.4 is added to the Labor Code, to
2read:

3

147.4.  

(a) begin deleteWithin 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire
4Protection Association of new standards for firefighters’ personal
5protective equipment, theend delete
begin insert Theend insert board shallbegin delete commenceend deletebegin insert complete a
6comprehensiveend insert
review of existing regulations for personal
7protectivebegin delete clothing andend delete equipment for firefightersbegin insert by January 1,
82016, and every five years thereafter,end insert
to determine if the standards
9adopted by the National Fire Protection Association provide a
10greater degree of personal protection to a firefighter.

11(b) If the board determines that the standards adopted by the
12National Fire Protection Association provide a greater degree of
13personal protection to a firefighter, the board shall consider
14modifying existing regulations for personal protectivebegin delete clothing
15andend delete
equipment for firefighters to reflect the standards adopted by
16the National Fire Protection Association as a new safety standard
17for all employers of firefighters in the state.



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