Committee questions DPW on truck‑loading practices after Cal/OSHA citation; DPW outlines training, policy changes and automated monitoring

The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on May 23 held a hearing on Department of Public Works street‑cleaning truck safety after a Cal/OSHA citation and investigative reporting raised concerns about unsecured loads and overloaded vehicles.

The hearing was opened by the committee president (transcript: "President Ih"), who cited the NBC Bay Area report and the Cal/OSHA citation. He said the committee wanted to know the status of the citation, corrective actions taken by DPW, and what mechanisms exist to keep departments current with changing state regulations.

Larry Stringer, deputy director of operations for DPW, told the committee the department places a high priority on safety and described multiple steps taken after the citation: updating the department's code of safe practices to cover overweight vehicles; issuing a memo on proper loading; conducting tailgate trainings and bureau‑level safety meetings; and implementing an automated tonnage report with Recology to identify overloaded vehicles weekly. Stringer provided operational figures: about 29,053 dump entries in the reviewed period and 103 of those entries identified as overweight, with 47 overweight entries involving sweepers. DPW said it has begun using per‑truck reports to address individual drivers and that Cal/OSHA reduced the fine and had not opened a subsequent enforcement action as of the hearing.

Supervisors pressed DPW on several operational issues: whether a centralized mechanism tracks new state rules (Stringer said there was not a single dedicated monitor and that departments rely on shops or the City Attorney for briefings), how DPW addresses covering loads (Stringer said crews were trained to avoid loading above the side box and that a tarping system is being evaluated for next year's budget), and how the department consolidates small trucks' loads into larger front‑end loaders or packers (DPW said two designated packer locations are used to consolidate loads and reduce trips to the dump).

Public comment emphasized worker safety and contracting practices. One commenter alleged uneven pay and discrimination among street‑cleaning crews; another urged daily safety briefings and closer supervisor engagement. Jolene Kramer, an attorney for Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld representing Laborers Local 261, recommended amending Article 2.4 of the City Public Works Code to impose clearer liability on utilities and contractors and to require qualified contractors and subcontractors for excavation work to reduce public‑safety risks.

Stringer and the deputy city attorney, John Gibner, said DPW has taken concrete steps to address the citation and to build reporting mechanisms; Stringer said the department intends to include tarping systems in its next budget request. After public testimony and questioning, the committee closed the hearing and took no immediate further action.