The agency overseeing workplace health and safety in California is missing more than a quarter of the inspectors needed to ensure employees are protected from injury, illness and death. This staffing shortage has led to problems like a drop in on-site inspections, and a backlog of cases left unresolved for excessively long periods, according to three current and recent senior department employees and a review of available data.
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), better known as Cal/OSHA, has been battling staffing shortages for many years. Agency insiders and labor advocates say the workload stemming from additional COVID-related safety requirements, coupled with a pandemic-driven uptick in worker complaints, have brought the problem to a head.
