Occupational safety and health: fabrication activities: slab solid surface products.

Existing law imposes restrictions on specified high-exposure trigger tasks on artificial stone, as those terms are defined. Specifically, a person or entity engaged in high-exposure trigger tasks is prohibited from using dry methods, and is required to use effective wet methods when engaging in any high-exposure trigger tasks. Existing law requires the owner or operator of a fabrication shop, or any individual who will employ another individual to perform high-exposure trigger tasks in a fabrication shop, to ensure that an employee who will perform high-exposure tasks receives specified training and to annually attest to the division that these employees have been trained. Existing law requires the division to enforce these provisions by issuing a citation alleging a violation and a notice of civil penalty.

This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2028, the department to develop an application and certification process for fabrication shops to lawfully engage in slab solid surface product fabrication activities. The bill would authorize fabrication shops to engage in those fabrication activities during the pendency of the application development and certification process. The bill would require the department to develop an initial deposit process for fabrication shops to, during the pendency of the application development and certification process, submit a deposit fee for the application and certification subject to specified requirements, including that the deposit amount goes towards the initial certification fee collected by the department.

This bill would require, beginning July 1, 2028, the department to grant a 3-year certification to a fabrication shop that demonstrates satisfaction of specified criteria involving workplace safety conditions and precautions, and would authorize certification renewal, as specified. Among other conditions, the bill would establish certain regulatory fees in amounts to be determined and adjusted by the department, as specified, for the certification and renewal thereof. The bill would authorize the department to suspend or revoke a certification in certain cases, including for gross negligence, as specified. The bill would require the department, in consultation with the division and the State Department of Public Health, to track and keep a record of specified information on fabrication shops, including the number of citations issued to any of the fabrication shops for failure to comply with any temporary or future standards relating to respirable crystalline silica, as specified.

This bill would prohibit a person or entity, or an employee thereof, from engaging in fabrication activities, as defined, on slab solid surface products unless they conduct the fabrication activities at a fabrication shop that has submitted a valid initial deposit to the department, or, after July 1, 2028, has submitted an application for initial certification or renewal and the application is pending or has a valid certification, as provided. The bill would require the division to enforce this prohibition by issuing a citation alleging a violation and a notice of civil penalty.

This bill would prohibit, beginning July 1, 2028, a person from supplying a slab solid surface product directly to a person, entity, or business engaged in fabrication activities on those products if the person, entity, or business does not have a valid, or pending application for, certification. The bill would require a person that supplies a slab solid surface product to a person, entity, or business engaged in fabrication activities on those products to verify that the person, entity, or business has a certification, or a pending application for certification, as specified. The bill would require a person that supplies a slab solid surface product to a person, entity, or business that is not engaged in fabrication activities to rely on written certification issued under penalty of perjury that, among other things, they will not directly engage in fabrication activities with the product without a certification. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require a person that seeks services that require fabrication activities and enters into a contract with a person, entity, or business to undertake fabrication activities to verify that the person, entity, or business has a valid certificate before engaging with and providing slab solid surface products to that person, entity, or business. The bill would require the division to enforce these requirements by issuing a citation alleging a violation and a notice of civil penalty.

The bill would establish the Slab Fabrication Activity Account in the Occupational Safety and Health Fund in the State Treasury, and would require all fees, penalties, or other moneys collected by the department under the bill and under the above-described provisions relating to high-exposure trigger tasks to be deposited into the account. The bill would authorize moneys in the account to be expended by the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes of administering the bill and other provisions related to silicosis risk exposure in fabrication shops.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.