To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (209115 ) 5/2/2018 6:47:43 PM From: FJB 1 RecommendationRecommended By
Respond to The diseased streets of San Francisco spread to rest of California Leslie Eastman legalinsurrection.com diseased streets of San Francisco , after local reporters revealed a dangerous mix of drug needles, garbage, and feces spread throughout the city’s downtown area.as the number of homeless camps across the state skyrocket, union officials for highway maintenance workers are demanding health and safety protections for state employees who are exposed to the biological detritus while cleaning up roadside encampments. the union representing California’s maintenance workers accused the state of subjecting its members to hazardous conditions without proper training or equipment. Crouch told KTVU on Monday that maintenance crews often have to work in areas where the ground is muddy, slippery and ridden with debris that can include objects that are exceedingly sharp. Other items are simply dangerous to touch, such as potentially toxic or biologically unsafe materials. Workers who are potentially exposed to bloodborne pathogens (such as Hepatitis B or HIV) are required under both state and federal law to have vaccinations, training, and proper PPE. Therefore, the claims being made by state employees are very troubling . “I’ve been exposed to blood, needles, women’s feminine products… five-gallon buckets of human feces,” he told The Bee. If these allegations prove true, and the regulating agencies follow-up, the penalty could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars that this state cannot afford to lose. For example, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines the United States Postal Service over $300,000 after inspectors find workers exposed to bloodborne pathogen hazards at a Maryland facility in 2016.bacterial infections and exposure to viruses isn’t the only hazard these highway workers face. Workplace violence is also a significant concern for those who clean homeless camps. Sometime they have pit bulls in there, They’ll, you know, let the dogs loose to chase the Caltrans workers out. Sometimes they’ll throw rocks at the Caltrans workers,” said Crouch. Add to that: live electrical lines and even the occasional weapon. If Caltrans employees are expected to be hazmat employees, then they do need to be paid and trained as such. Otherwise, California is going to have to assign the tasks to another group of properly trained and protected employees. In its latest budget, Los Angeles alone has doubled the amount that it spends on addressing homeless issues ( projected to be $430 million ), and most of the money to pay for these services is being borrowed. it is certain that it will not address the root causes of the rapid expansion of the homeless population in California. I anticipate more money will be squandered, and public health issues will not be adequately addressed, for quite some time. Hopefully, however, our workers will be better protected and paid for obviously hazardous work.
