(Amended by Stats. 1976, Ch. 963.)
144.7. (a) The board shall, no later than January 15, 1999, adopt an emergency regulation revising the bloodborne pathogen standard currently set forth in Section 5193 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations in accordance with subdivision (b). Following adoption of the emergency regulation, the board shall complete the regulation adoption process and shall formally adopt a regulation embodying a bloodborne pathogen standard meeting the requirements of subdivision (b), which regulation shall become operative no later than August 1, 1999. Notwithstanding Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, the emergency regulation adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall remain in effect until the nonemergency regulation becomes operative or until August 1, 1999, whichever first occurs.
(b) The board shall adopt a standard, as described in subdivision (a), to be developed by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The standard shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) A revised definition of “engineering controls” that includes sharps injury prevention technology including, but not limited to, needleless systems and needles with engineered sharps injury protection, which shall be defined in the standard.
(2) A requirement that sharps injury prevention technology specified in paragraph (1) be included as engineering or work practice controls, except in cases where the employer or other appropriate party can demonstrate circumstances in which the technology does not promote employee or patient safety or interferes with a medical procedure. Those circumstances shall be specified in the standard, and shall include, but not be limited to, circumstances where the technology is medically contraindicated or not more effective than alternative measures used by the employer to prevent exposure incidents.
(3) A requirement that written exposure control plans include an effective procedure for identifying and selecting existing sharps injury prevention technology of the type specified in paragraph (1).
(4) A requirement that written exposure control plans be updated when necessary to reflect progress in implementing the sharps injury prevention technology specified in paragraph (1).
(5) A requirement that information concerning exposure incidents be recorded in a sharps injury log, including, but not limited to, the type and brand of device involved in the incident.
(c) The Division of Occupational Safety and Health may consider and propose for adoption by the board additional revisions to the bloodborne pathogen standards to prevent sharps injuries or exposure incidents including, but not limited to, training requirements and measures to increase vaccinations.
(d) The Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the State Department of Health Services shall jointly compile and maintain a list of existing needleless systems and needles with engineered sharps injury protection, which shall be available to assist employers in complying with the requirements of the bloodborne pathogen standard adopted pursuant to this section. The list may be developed from existing sources of information, including, but not limited to, the federal Food and Drug Administration, the federal Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 370, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2002.)
144.8. (a) As used in this section the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Antineoplastic drug” means a chemotherapeutic agent that controls or kills cancer cells.
(2) “NIOSH” means the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
(b) The board shall adopt an occupational safety and health standard for the handling of antineoplastic drugs in health care facilities regardless of the setting. In developing the standard, the board shall consider input from hospitals, practicing physicians from impacted specialties, including oncology, organizations representing health care personnel, including registered nurses and pharmacists, and other stakeholders, and shall determine a reasonable time for facilities to implement new requirements imposed by the adopted standard. The standard, to the extent feasible, shall be consistent with and not exceed recommendations in the NIOSH 2004 alert entitled “Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings,” as updated in 2010. The standard may incorporate applicable updates and changes to NIOSH guidelines.
(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 678, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2014.)
145. The board may employ necessary assistants, officers, experts, and such other employees as it deems necessary. All such personnel of the board shall be under the supervision of the chairman of the board or an executive officer to whom he delegates such responsibility. All such personnel shall be appointed pursuant to the State Civil Service Act (Part 1 (commencing with Section 18000) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code), except for the one exempt deputy or employee allowed by subdivision (e) of Section 4 of Article XXIV of the California Constitution.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 993.)
145.1. The board and its duly authorized representatives in the performance of its duties shall have the powers of a head of a department as set forth in Article 2 (commencing with Section 11180) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(Added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 993.)
146. In the conduct of hearings related to permanent variances, the board and its representatives are not bound by common law or statutory rules of evidence or by technical or formal rules of procedure but shall conduct the hearings in accordance with Article 8 (commencing with Section 11435.05) of Chapter 4.5 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of, and Section 11513 of, the Government Code. A full and complete record shall be kept of all proceedings.
(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 938, Sec. 72.8. Effective January 1, 1996. Operative July 1, 1997, by Sec. 98 of Ch. 938.)
147. The board shall refer to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health for evaluation any proposed occupational safety or health standard or variance from adopted standards received by the board from sources other than the division. The division shall submit a report on the proposed standard or variance within 60 days of receipt thereof.
(Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 72.)
147.1. In connection with the development and promulgation of occupational health standards the Division of Occupational Safety and Health shall perform all of the following functions:
(a) Analyze proposed and new federal occupational health standards, evaluate their impact on California, determine any necessity for their modification, and present proposed standards to the board in sufficient time for the board to conduct hearings and adopt standards within the time required.
(b) Maintain liaison with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the development of recommended federal standards and when appropriate provide representation on federal advisory committees dealing with the development of occupational health standards.
(c) On occupational health issues not covered by federal standards maintain surveillance, determine the necessity for standards, develop and present proposed standards to the board.
(d) Evaluate any proposed occupational health