Gov. Jerry Brown announced the appointments of 12 people to various government boards and agencies Wednesday, two of whom are Berkeley residents.
Laura Stock and Barbara Smisko were appointed to the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, a part of the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which enforces and regulates safety and health standards for California employers.
The board is a seven-member body appointed by the governor, whose mission statement is to “promote, adopt, and maintain reasonable and enforceable standards within the Cal/OSHA program that will ensure a safe and healthful workplace for California workers,” according to the board’s website. It is the only agency authorized to adopt, amend or repeal occupational safety and health standards and covers areas not designated by federal standards.
According to a press release from Brown’s office, Laura Stock has been associate director at the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley since 1982. Stock is a member of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the National Occupational Research Agenda Committee and the American Public Health Association.
“I’ve seen on the ground floor what it takes from both a worker and employer point of view to find the most effective and practical solutions,” Stock said. “I have a public health background, which gives me the perspective to focus on prevention, what positions can we put in place so that injuries don’t occur.”
Barbara Smisko has been the executive director of national environmental health and safety at Kaiser Permanente since 1994, according to the press release. Smisko is a certified safety professional and a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Disability Management Employer Coalition.
To become a member of the board, interested candidates must submit an application. Applications are then screened by the administration and candidates are vetted thoroughly, according to Evan Westrup, spokesperson for the Office of Gov. Jerry Brown. Individuals are then interviewed by the administration and, if selected, are appointed by the governor.
“Barbara and Laura have exceptional experience and have spent decades advancing workplace health and safety in California,” Westrup said. “We are confident they will serve the Board and the people of California well.”
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