California Workplace Safety Summit 2026

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Registration

9:00 - 9:10 a.m.

Welcome Remarks

9:10 – 10:00 a.m.

Cal/OSHA Rulemaking and Enforcement Updates 

Andrew Sommer and Sophia Botti

This session will cover developments with the Cal/OSHA enforcement agency and Standards Board:

• Our panelists will discuss California’s significant pending workplace safety regulations, such as the draft Walkaround Rule and implementing regulation for the Workplace Violence Prevention law.
• They will also review DOSH enforcement developments, including the latest inspection priorities and enforcement statistics.

BREAK

The Nuts and Bolts of Cal/OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping

Mitchell Anderson and Steve Alvarado

When and how to report an employee fatality, injury or illness to Cal/OSHA and record that on an OSHA log: 

• Circumstances when an employee fatality or injury is reportable to Cal/OSHA and how that standard significantly differs from Federal OSHA’s.
• Recordkeeping requirements for logging work-related fatalities and injuries including determining work relatedness, evaluating general recording criteria, and identifying the correct establishment. 
  
  

11:05 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Navigating Criminal and Civil Landmines in a Fatality or Serious Injury Investigation

Marie Scott, Chris Bellamy and Warren Nelson

When Cal/OSHA Meets DA – and how to appropriately navigate potential criminal exposure in Workplace Safety Investigations:

• A look at how workplace incidents can escalate into criminal, and how boots-on-the-ground teams should respond – early and strategically.
• What clients need to know about criminal enforcement trends.
• Real-world case examples and proactive strategies for doing everything ethically and legally appropriate to mitigate criminal exposure during an investigation, injury, fatality, or other crisis.
• A candid look at executive liability and how you can help build a culture of compliance and communication.
  
  

Federal OSHA Developments: Current and Anticipated Initiatives under New Leadership

Todd Logsdon and Mitchell Anderson

Federal OSHA is under new leadership of David Keeling, who was formerly in safety roles with Amazon and UPS, and this session will cover:

• The status of current rulemaking including the nationwide heat safety rule, and existing safety rules that may be rolled back. 
• The status of OSHA enforcement under reduced staffing and the present enforcement priorities. 
  
  

1:50 - 2:00 p.m. 

2:00 - 2:50 p.m.

OSHA State Plans:  What is the Next Wave of Enforcement?   

Andrew Sommer and Chase Dorn

With potential federal rollbacks, states with their own OSHA plans have taken the lead in implementing stricter safety rules, in a patchwork of new laws. This session covers:

• Rulemaking trends across state plans including on heat illness prevention, wildfire smoke, and workplace violence prevention.
• The compliance measures employers operating in these states should adopt to be compliant. 
  
  

2:50 - 3:40 p.m.

Basics for Developing an Effective Safety Program – and the Role of AI in Enhancing Compliance

Todd Logsdon

This presentation provides a practical framework for building and maintaining an effective workplace safety program while exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming compliance and risk management. The session will: 

• Review the foundational elements of successful safety programs, including leadership commitment, hazard identification, employee engagement, and regulatory compliance.
• Examine the evolving role of AI technologies in enhancing safety compliance and elevating safety culture.
• Discuss legal risks related to implementing AI in workplace safety, including bias, employee privacy and surveillance concerns, data security, accountability for AI-driven safety decisions, and regulatory uncertainty in an evolving legal landscape.
  
  

Closing Remarks