Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom addressed the crowd at this past week’s Annual AgSafe Activate 2026 meeting in Monterey, California. Isom reported on the recent changes in CalOSHA Appeals with regards to violations classified as serious. “You are no longer dealing with Division Managers” commented Isom. “You are dealing directly with legal counsel, who have less experience with equipment and plant operations, and see things in black and white, period!” Isom also reported that he has worked on serval cases in recent months and legal counsel is less inclined to negotiate and are working under a “Do not settle” mindset. Isom lamented “This is not your Daddy’s CalOSHA!” stating that if an employer challenges, then legal counsel is inclined to go directly to a hearing with little, if any, negotiation. With serious violations costing $18,000 each, this is a major development and should have the attention of every employer. Isom encouraged attendees to be as proactive as possible, stating “Every employer needs to have a disciplinary program for failure to follow safety rules, and you must enforce it.” Failure to do so, not only exposes the employer to more potential accidents, but it also severely limits your ability to fight them down the road.