California Labor Code 6313 – (a) The division shall investigate the causes of any employment …
(a) The division shall investigate the causes of any employment accident that is fatal to one or more employees or that results in a serious injury or illness, or a serious exposure, unless it determines that an investigation is unnecessary. If the division determines that an investigation of an accident is unnecessary, it shall summarize the facts indicating that the accident need not be investigated and the means by which the facts were determined. The division shall establish guidelines for determining the circumstances under which an investigation of these accidents and exposures is unnecessary.
(b) The division may investigate the causes of any other industrial accident or occupational illness which occurs within the state in any employment or place of employment, or which directly or indirectly arises from or is connected with the maintenance or operation of the employment or place of employment, and shall issue any orders necessary to eliminate the causes and to prevent reoccurrence. The orders may not be admitted as evidence in any action for damages, or any proceeding to recover compensation, based on or arising out of injury or death caused by the accident or illness.
Terms Used In California Labor Code 6313
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Division: means the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. See California Labor Code 6302
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Serious exposure: means any exposure of an employee to a hazardous substance when the exposure occurs as a result of an incident, accident, emergency, or exposure over time and is in a degree or amount sufficient to create a realistic possibility that death or serious physical harm in the future could result from the actual hazard created by the exposure. See California Labor Code 6302
- Serious injury or illness: means any injury or illness occurring in a place of employment or in connection with any employment that requires inpatient hospitalization, for other than medical observation or diagnostic testing, or in which an employee suffers an amputation, the loss of an eye, or any serious degree of permanent disfigurement, but does not include any injury or illness or death caused by an accident on a public street or highway, unless the accident occurred in a construction zone. See California Labor Code 6302
(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 885, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003.)