Employers Fined by Cal/OSHA for Non-Compliant COVID-19 Training

Recently, Cal/OSHA issued multiple citations and fined several California employers for not providing effective COVID-19 workplace training outlined in Cal/OSHA Interim Guidelines on Protecting Workers from COVID-19.

The violations include failing to adequately train employees on certain workplace safety topics, such as:

• how the virus is spread

• signs and symptoms of COVID-19

• hazards related to COVID-19

• measures to avoid infection

• how to safely use cleaners and disinfectants

Cal/OSHA also cited and fined Ralph’s grocery stores over $100,000 for failing to provide effective COVID-19 employee training, in addition to several other workplace safety violations.

Two Amazon warehouses in California were similarly issued citations by Cal/OSHA for certain workplace safety violations, including the failure to provide effective safety training to employees to help mitigate their potential exposure to COVID-19.

Cal/OSHA’s recent enforcement activities highlight the importance of providing compliant COVID-19 workplace safety training.