California Legislators Grill Cal-OSHA Chief Over Audit Revealing Over 80% of Inspections Conducted by Mail

Sacramento, California – California legislators this week intensely questioned Cal-OSHA Chief Debra Lee following a scathing state audit that exposed severe deficiencies in the agency's worker safety enforcement. The audit, released in July 2025, revealed that over 80% of Cal-OSHA's workplace investigations are conducted by letter rather than in-person, a practice critics argue allows employers to self-police and compromises worker safety. The hearing, led by Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-San Leandro) and State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), highlighted concerns over staffing shortages, inadequate fines, and a lack of criminal prosecutions for workplace fatalities.

The audit, conducted by California State Auditor Grant Parks, detailed a troubling landscape within the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA). Key findings included a 32% overall vacancy rate in fiscal year 2023-24, significantly higher than the state average, and a reliance on antiquated paper-based record-keeping systems. Parks testified that fines against companies are often arbitrarily reduced, and criminal prosecutions for cases involving serious injury or death are "virtually non-existent."

Assemblymember Ortega, who requested the audit, expressed profound disappointment, stating, "I have to say that this audit has made it very clear what I have known for some time, and that is that Cal OSHA is not working." She specifically criticized the widespread use of letter inspections, calling them "fake letters" that do not ensure employer accountability. Ortega cited the tragic case of Alco Metals, a company in her district where three workers died over eight years, yet faced only $18,000 in total fines, or $6,000 per fatality.

Cal-OSHA Chief Debra Lee, appointed in 2024, defended the agency's use of letter inspections for "non-serious hazards" and acknowledged the audit's recommendations. She stated that Cal-OSHA had already begun modernizing efforts, including an "aggressive hiring and recruitment strategy" that she claimed reduced the overall vacancy rate to 12% by mid-2025, partly by eliminating 66 positions. Additionally, the agency is developing a new electronic data management system, expected to be fully operational by 2027.

However, former Cal-OSHA official and agency watchdog Garrett Brown disputed the reported vacancy rate reduction, suggesting it was "cooking the books, or it’s totally misleading," citing a much higher vacancy rate for field inspectors. Legislators emphasized the urgent need for structural changes, with Assemblymember Ortega pledging to pursue legislative fixes to ensure greater accountability for employers and more robust criminal referrals in cases of worker death or serious injury. The State Auditor's office is scheduled to follow up on Cal-OSHA's progress in the coming months.