General Industry Safety Orders

Top 5 Common GISO Violations and How to Easily Avoid Them The General Industry Safety Orders (GISO) set by Cal/OSHA ensure workers stay safe on the job. Violating these standards can lead to severe injuries, costly fines, and project delays. Staying compliant does not have to be difficult. Here are the top five most common GISO violations and the simple steps you can take to avoid them. 1. Machinery and Equipment Guarding (GISO §4002) The Violation

Moving machine parts often lack proper guards. This exposes employees to crushing, cutting, or entanglement hazards. How to Avoid It

Conduct regular audits: Check all equipment weekly for missing or damaged guards.

Train employees: Ensure workers know never to operate machinery if a guard is removed.

Fix guards permanently: Use fasteners that require tools to remove so workers cannot easily bypass them. 2. Injury and Illness Prevention Program (GISO §3203) The Violation

Companies frequently fail to maintain a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). Other times, they have a written plan but fail to actually implement it. How to Avoid It

Write it down: Create a comprehensive, written IIPP tailored to your specific workplace.

Assign responsibility: Name a specific person to oversee and enforce the safety program.

Document everything: Keep detailed logs of safety meetings, hazard corrections, and employee training. 3. General Electrical Requirements (GISO §2340.1) The Violation

Workplaces often feature exposed live wires, overloaded circuits, or broken electrical enclosures. How to Avoid It

Keep spaces clear: Maintain at least 36 inches of clear space in front of all electrical panels.

Close openings: Use approved plugs to seal unused openings in electrical boxes.

Ban daisy-chaining: Never plug extension cords into power strips or other extension cords.

4. Control of Hazardous Energy / Lockout-Tagout (GISO §3314) The Violation

Employers fail to shut down, isolate, and lock out machines during maintenance or repair work. This leads to accidental equipment startups. How to Avoid It

Develop specific steps: Write clear, unique lockout procedures for every machine.

Provide hardware: Give workers plenty of heavy-duty padlocks and highly visible tags.

Verify isolation: Always test the machine to confirm the power is completely off before starting repairs. 5. First-Aid Kits and Training (GISO §3400) The Violation

First-aid kits are often empty, expired, or entirely missing from the worksite. Additionally, employers fail to ensure a trained first-aid provider is available. How to Avoid It

Restock monthly: Assign a staff member to check and refill first-aid kits on a set schedule.

Certify your team: Sponsor CPR and first-aid training for multiple employees on every shift.

Map locations: Clearly signpost where first-aid kits and eyewash stations are located.

To tailor this advice further, tell me about your workplace: What industry do you operate in? Have you recently received any Cal/OSHA citations? What is your biggest safety challenge right now?

I can provide specific checklists or policy templates to help you stay compliant.