On October 13, 2023, Keanna Wright, a 23-year-old software engineer at Cisco Systems, died during a team-building hike up Mission Peak in Fremont, California. The hike was organized and led by her direct supervisor and attended by his seven direct reports. On May 20, 2026, the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board affirmed a Cal/OSHA citation against Cisco Systems, Inc. (Inspection No. 1725224), finding that the company failed to maintain an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program addressing the hazards of "outdoor team-building exercises such as hiking during work hours" (Title 8 CCR §3203(a)).
The case is unusual, and we believe newsworthy for a safety and enforcement readership, for reasons that go beyond its facts. Cal/OSHA's traditional enforcement focus in the private sector has been construction, warehousing, agriculture, and manufacturing. Enforcement against a Fortune-ranked Silicon Valley technology company — cited for the hazards of a corporate team-bonding activity organized by a manager for his own reports during work hours — represents an application of §3203 to a fact pattern that has not been widely visible in prior enforcement. The affirmed citation language, referencing "mandatory Cisco approved company events," is the enforcement principle other California employers most need to hear about, and the one that has received the least public attention.
What Citation 1, Item 2 Says
1. Hazard Assessment
Cisco failed to have procedures to identify and evaluate hazards associated with mandatory Cisco-approved company events.
2. Employee Training
Cisco failed to provide training and instruction to employees regarding hazards associated with mandatory Cisco-approved company events.
Important Note
The Settlement Order states that the settlement is not an admission of negligence, fault, or wrongdoing by Cisco. The $5,000 penalty was not paid to Keanna’s family. This was a civil penalty assessed through the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) process.