Movement on Three Cal/OSHA Regulatory Proposals
Published Friday, May 15, 2026
Recent developments involving the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, and the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board brought positive movement on two regulatory issues impacting agriculture, while a third proposal remains under review.
First, Cal/OSHA and standards board staff have agreed with stakeholders on updates to first-aid kit requirements under General Industry Safety Orders 3400 and 3439. For decades, regulations required employers to have first-aid kits individually reviewed and approved by a healthcare professional, though the rule was rarely enforced. Under the proposed modernization, employers would instead be allowed to rely on compliance with American National Standards Institute standards for first-aid kit contents and packaging. Once formally adopted later this year, the change is expected to provide employers with clearer and more practical guidance for maintaining compliant first-aid kits at worksites.
Second, standards board staff announced they will revisit their March 2025 proposal regulating swinging powered and unpowered workplace gates, an issue that raised significant concerns for agricultural employers. The board now plans to hold an advisory committee later this year to gather additional stakeholder input before moving forward.
Lastly, Cal/OSHA recently released draft revisions to workplace violence prevention plan requirements. The proposal would formally incorporate workplace violence prevention requirements enacted by the Legislature in 2024 into Cal/OSHA regulations. California Farm Bureau continues to review the draft language and will provide updates as the regulatory process develops.
Staff contact: Bryan Little, blittle@cfbf.com.
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