§ 6712. — 6712. (Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 383.)

(a)
The standards board shall, no later than December 1, 1991, adopt an occupational safety and health standard for field sanitation. The standard shall comply with all of the following:
(1)
The standard shall be at least as effective as the federal field sanitation standard contained in Section 1928.110 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(2)
The standard shall be at least as effective as California field sanitation requirements in effect as of July 1, 1990, pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 113310) of Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code, Article 1 (commencing with Section 118375) of Chapter 1 of Part 15 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code, and Section 2441 of this code.
(3)
The standard shall apply to all agricultural places of employment.
(4)
The standard shall require that toilets are serviced and maintained in a clean, sanitary condition and kept in good repair at all times, including written records of that service and maintenance.
(b)
Consistent with its mandatory investigation and reinspection duties under Sections 6309, 6313, and 6320, the division shall develop and implement a special emphasis program for enforcement of the standard for at least two years following its adoption. Not later than March 15, 1995, the division shall also develop a written plan to coordinate its enforcement program with other state and local agencies. The division shall be the lead enforcement agency. Other state and local agencies shall cooperate with the division in the development and implementation of the plan. The division shall report to the Legislature, not later than January 1, 1994, on its enforcement program. The plan shall provide for coordination between the division and local officials in counties where the field sanitation facilities required by the standard adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) are registered by the county health officer or other appropriate official of the county where the facilities are located. The division shall establish guidelines to assist counties that choose to register sanitation facilities pursuant to this section, for developing service charges, fees, or assessments to defray the costs of registering the facilities, taking into consideration the differences between small and large employers.
(c)
(1)
Past violations by a fixed-site or nonfixed-site employer, occurring anywhere in the state within the previous five years, of one or more field sanitation regulations established pursuant to this section, or of Section 1928.110 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, shall be considered for purposes of establishing whether a current violation is a repeat violation under Section 6429.
(2)
Past violations by a fixed-site or nonfixed-site employer, occurring anywhere in the state within the previous five years, of one or more field sanitation regulations established pursuant to this section, Article 4 (commencing with Section 113310) of Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code, Article 1 (commencing with Section 118375) of Part 15 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code, or Section 2441 of this code, or of Section 1928.110 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, shall constitute evidence of willfulness for purposes of Section 6429.
(d)
(1)
Notwithstanding Sections 6317 and 6434, any employer who fails to provide the facilities required by the field sanitation standard shall be assessed a civil penalty under the appropriate provisions of Sections 6427 to 6430, inclusive, except that in no case shall the penalty be less than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) for each violation.
(2)
Abatement periods fixed by the division pursuant to Section 6317 for violations shall be limited to one working day. However, the division may, pursuant to Section 6319.5, modify the period in cases where a good faith effort to comply with the abatement requirement is shown. The filing of an appeal with the appeals board pursuant to Sections 6319 and 6600 shall not stay the abatement period.
(3)
An employer cited pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subdivision shall be required to annually complete a field sanitation compliance form which shall list the estimated peak number of employees, the toilets, washing, and drinking water facilities to be provided by the employer, any rental and maintenance agreements, and any other information considered relevant by the division for a period of five years following the citation. The employer shall be required to annually submit the completed form, subscribed under penalty of perjury, to the division, or to an agency designated by the division.
(e)
The division shall notify the State Department of Health Services and the appropriate local health officers whenever a violation of the standard adopted pursuant to this section may result in the adulteration of food with harmful bacteria or other deleterious substances within the meaning of Article 5 (commencing with Section 110545) of Chapter 5 of Part 5 of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code.
(f)
Pending final adoption and approval of the standard required by subdivision (a), the division may enforce the field sanitation standards prescribed by Section 1928.110 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, except subdivision (a) of Section 1928.110, in the same manner as other standards contained in this division.

Legislative History

Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1023, Sec. 383. Effective September 29, 1996.