Updates to Cal/OSHA Employee IIPP Access Rule

Taking affect on January 1, 2021 employees will now be allowed access the employers Injury Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP). According to this standard, passed by the California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, employers will be required to provide their employees with access to their written IIPP within five days of a request.

The Standards Boards has given employers flexibility as to how they provide access to the IIPP. Employers have two options to comply with the standard.

• They can provide requesting employees with a printed or electronic copy of the program, OR

• Employers can allow employees “unobstructed access through a company server or website, which allows an employee to review, print, and email the current version of the Program.”

The Standards Board has also built in flexibility as to how the process for employee requests is implemented. The proposed standard states that"

“The employer shall communicate the right and procedure to access the Program to all employees.”

In direct response to employer comments, the Standards Board included this subsection to provide “employers with flexibility in determining the best method for providing access.”

Given the Standards Board’s approval of the proposed standard, employers should begin considering how they will comply. Getting ahead of the Cal/OSHA enforcement date by developing the process, and training the management team and employees will only benefit your company.