Occupational safety: fabrication activities on slab solid surface products.

Senator Menjivar's workplace safety legislation establishes comprehensive regulations for California's stone slab fabrication industry to address rising cases of silicosis among workers exposed to crystalline silica dust. The bill creates a new certification system for fabrication shops, mandates specific safety protocols, and implements required training programs.

The legislation prohibits dry fabrication methods on stone slabs containing crystalline silica and requires shops to use effective wet methods that suppress dust through continuous water application, submersion, or water-jet cutting. By July 2026, the Department of Industrial Relations must develop a mandatory training curriculum covering safety standards and hands-on instruction. Shop owners, operators and workers must complete this training by July 2027 before conducting fabrication activities.

Starting January 2027, fabrication shops must obtain a three-year certification from the department by demonstrating compliance with workplace safety requirements, including proper licensing, workers' compensation coverage, and air quality monitoring. The bill also restricts suppliers from providing materials to uncertified shops and creates a dedicated account within the Occupational Safety and Health Fund for certification fees and enforcement penalties. While violations can result in immediate shutdown orders and fines, they are not classified as crimes under the legislation.

The department must track citations, silicosis cases, and compliance notices among certified shops to support enforcement. This data will be available to local prosecutors pursuing civil or criminal actions against violators. The certification program's costs and fees will be evaluated in January 2028 to ensure they align with implementation expenses while remaining within reasonable regulatory limits.