Amended in Senate June 17, 2014

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2146

Introduced by Assembly Member Skinner

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Chesbro, Gonzalez, Quirk-Silva, Rodriguez, V. Manuel Pérez, and Waldron)

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(Coauthor: Senator Vidak)

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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 with all the power, jurisdiction, and supervision over all employment and places of employment that is 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, within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) of new standards for firefighters’ personal begin delete protection end delete begin insert protective end insert equipment, to commence review of existing regulations for personal protective clothing and equipment for firefighters to determine if the standards adopted by the NFPA provide a greater degree of personal protection to a firefighter. The bill would require the board, if it makes that determination in the affirmative, to consider modifying existing regulations for personal protective clothing and 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:

SECTION 1.  

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

147.4.  

(a) Within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire
Protection Association of new standards for firefighters’ personal
begin delete protection end delete begin insert protective end insert equipment, the board shall commence review
of existing regulations for personal protective clothing and
equipment for firefighters to determine if the standards adopted
by the National Fire Protection Association provide a greater
degree of personal protection to a firefighter.

(b) If the board determines that the standards adopted by the
National Fire Protection Association provide a greater degree of
personal protection to a firefighter, the board shall consider
modifying existing regulations for personal protective clothing
and equipment for firefighters to reflect the standards adopted by
the National Fire Protection Association as a new safety standard
for all employers of firefighters in the state.