Blogs

By @Brittney Barsotti

On July 23, CSDA participated in the second convening of the Cal/OSHA advisory committee on potential sliding and swinging gate regulations. CSDA and other partners from the employer community were present to share concerns based on the discussion draft Cal/OSHA had prepared. You can find the full list of invited participants here. 

Following robust conversation about the need to limit the scope of the regulation and its definitions, the committee agreed to spend the remainder of the meeting on the draft language pertaining to sliding gates only. Cal/OSHA did not expressly say that swinging gates will be excluded from the regulation. However, the narrowing of the conversation for the time-being was a welcome development.

Key topics discussed regarding sliding gates included:

Proper Code: Committee member comments suggested that placing design standards in Cal/OSHA regulations is problematic, and any such standards would more appropriately fall into the building code. 

Positive Stops: Some industry experts suggested clarification of the definition of “positive stops”, as there was robust discussion about the infeasibility of requiring multiple positive stops because sliding gates simply are not designed that way.

Gate Size: The conversation included discussion around the size of gates, given that larger gates are more likely to result in serious injury. Several members of the committee stated that weight was difficult to ascertain, so size dimensions would be better for implementation. Many voiced the need to eliminate the language "designed to withstand four times the normal impact forces from the gate opening and closing.” 

Qualified Person: For the “installation, adjustments, and repairs” section and requirements for performance by a "qualified person," committee members suggested the elimination of some additional proposed requirements and the “lock out” provisions. 

At the end of the advisory meeting, everyone was encouraged to share any additional thoughts on the language, by Friday, August 21, 2026.

CSDA has been asked to share fiscal impacts with Cal/OSHA. If your district has yet to share cost estimates with CSDA and you are able to do so, please email Legislative Representative Brittney Barsotti at brittneyb@csda.net.

At a future point, Cal/OSHA intends to post an updated discussion draft for public comment prior to any start of any formal rulemaking. CSDA will continue to keep members updated and share opportunities to engage on this significant regulation that could potentially affect thousands of gates across nearly every special district in California.