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OSHA Laws in Minnesota

September 8th, 2005 Posted by Lindsay

I imagine that anyone who is an employer in today’s world is aware of laws that require employers to offer their employees safe working conditions. Minnesota’s OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has the duty of setting health and safety standards on the job and sending inspectors to be sure that those standards are being adhered to.

OSHA insists that workers be protected from hazards that can cause death, injury, or harm. Employers provide that protection through putting safety devices in place, providing protective gear when appropriate, and providing employee training.

In order to keep both employers and employees aware of the existence of the laws, OSHA requires that the laws be posted at the work place in plain sight of all employees. The employees must adhere to all the rules and regulations that OSHA sets forth. In my opinion, just having the laws posted keeps everybody more mindful of safety. The Minnesota Complete Labor Law poster reflects not only the current OSHA laws but also all of the state, and federal laws as well. Plus, workers who feel their safety is threatened by conditions on the job can contact their local MNOSHA office.

It is my understanding that OSHA requires that incident reports be filled out any time there is an accident or illness that happens on site. The reports are just filed in the company’s files, but the important part is that a log, or summary, of all the accidents and injuries over the past year be turned in to OSHA.

The log that employers turn over to OSHA can help them to create better mandates on workplace safety to reduce the chances of accident or injury. I know this paperwork is time-consuming and may be viewed by many employers as unnecessary, but any violations that are found on job sites can cost the employer $7,000 or more. Further penalties can cause the fines to keep going up. So ultimately, keeping track of safety issues can save the company money.