Section 4558 Of Article 1. General Provisions From California Labor Code >> Division 4. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
4558
. (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Employer" means a named identifiable person who is, prior to
the time of the employee's injury or death, an owner or supervisor
having managerial authority to direct and control the acts of
employees.
(2) "Failure to install" means omitting to attach a point of
operation guard either provided or required by the manufacturer, when
the attachment is required by the manufacturer and made known by him
or her to the employer at the time of acquisition, installation, or
manufacturer-required modification of the power press.
(3) "Manufacturer" means the designer, fabricator, or assembler of
a power press.
(4) "Power press" means any material-forming machine that utilizes
a die which is designed for use in the manufacture of other
products.
(5) "Removal" means physical removal of a point of operation guard
which is either installed by the manufacturer or installed by the
employer pursuant to the requirements or instructions of the
manufacturer.
(6) "Specifically authorized" means an affirmative instruction
issued by the employer prior to the time of the employee's physical
injury or death, but shall not mean any subsequent acquiescence in,
or ratification of, removal of a point of operation safety guard.
(b) An employee, or his or her dependents in the event of the
employee's death, may bring an action at law for damages against the
employer where the employee's injury or death is proximately caused
by the employer's knowing removal of, or knowing failure to install,
a point of operation guard on a power press, and this removal or
failure to install is specifically authorized by the employer under
conditions known by the employer to create a probability of serious
injury or death.
(c) No liability shall arise under this section absent proof that
the manufacturer designed, installed, required, or otherwise provided
by specification for the attachment of the guards and conveyed
knowledge of the same to the employer. Proof of conveyance of this
information to the employer by the manufacturer may come from any
source.
(d) No right of action for contribution or indemnity by any
defendant shall exist against the employer; however, a defendant may
seek contribution after the employee secures a judgment against the
employer pursuant to the provisions of this section if the employer
fails to discharge his or her comparative share of the judgment.