OSHA EDUCATION CENTER - Key Persons

The Alabama Department of Labor conducts an annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses from a sample of about 3,200 companies in the state. The state collects important data, including annual average employment, total hours worked and injury and illness totals for the state of Alabama. The state also collects workplace injury data through collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics to conduct a Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. And finally, the OSHA Log Data Collection Survey was designed to collect workplace injury and illness data to coordinate OSHA activities like inspections, outreach and consultation, performance measurement and injury reduction.

The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) covers almost all public and private-sector employees, with exceptions for federal employees, the United States Postal Service, maritime operations, and those working on Indian Lands or within mine property. ADOSH operates under the U.S. Department of Labor and retains jurisdiction over job-related safety and health issues within the state. This jurisdiction over includes 2.1 million employees and 130,000 public and private organizations.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment oversees wage and hour laws and has state-specific regulations about breaks, overtime, termination, compensatory time, holiday pay and other labor issues. Complaint forms regarding workplace conditions, employment eligibility and wages can be found on the department's website. Colorado State University runs an independent OSHA Consultation Program, which helps employers identify and correct specific hazards, establish or improve effective safety and health programs, and train and educate employers and employees. The consultation is free, no penalties are assessed and nothing is reported to OSHA. For more information on this program, visit Colorado State University's website.

OSHA and the Office of Labor Law Enforcement regulate labor in Delaware. For businesses, the Delaware Department of Labor Office of Safety and Health Consultation provides free consultation services to help employers recognize and control potential safety and health hazards. The consultations are voluntary and confidential, and they have no associated fines, penalties or fees.

Florida Department of Health runs the Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) to educate employers about work-related illnesses and injuries, but Florida businesses must also follow federal OSHA guidelines. The state of Florida provides occupational health surveillance, which aims to eliminate physical, mechanical, biological and chemical hazards in the workplace. The OHSP at the Florida Department of Health monitors the following: Work-related hospitalizations Fatal workplace injuries Work-related amputations Work-related burns Work-related musculoskeletal disorders Carpal tunnel syndrome in workers Pesticide-associated illness and injury Work-related illnesses such as mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis There is also a statewide coalition called the Florida Occupational Coalition that monitors health and safety in the workplace and is designed as a voluntary partnership of individuals and organizations. In-person meetings are held at least once per year for networking and education. Parties interested in joining the coalition can learn more by calling OHSP at 850-245-4444 ext. 5117.

The Georgia Department of Labor addresses matters of affirmative action, child labor, COBRA health coverage, disability, employment service, equal employment, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, whistleblower protection and other state and federal laws. Regulations and information specifically relevant to Georgia employers and employees include the following: Georgia Security & Immigration Compliance Act "What Employers Need to Know" from the Office of the Secretary of State Rules of the Georgia Department of Labor Employment Security Law Unemployment Insurance Rules sections of the Rules of the Georgia Department of Labor State of Georgia Child Labor information, requirements and forms Georgia New Hire Reporting, including information about online reporting and other options Georgia Code Georgia also has an injury prevention program within the Georgia Department of Public Health/Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response. Its main purposes are to: Provide technical assistance in program evaluation and coalition building to local community groups Provide injury data to the public and community groups Spread knowledge on proper safety equipment use Distribute safety equipment such as child safety seats, bike helmets and smoke detectors Provide general support to local coalition to help promote safe lifestyles and behaviors Some top priorities for the Georgia Department of Public Health include performing health inspections and concentrating on food service and tourist accommodation facilities to keep the public safe. You can search for inspection results by county on the department's website.

The Kansas Department of Labor also provides free consultation services to businesses to help employers recognize and control potential safety and health hazards. Part of this service includes the Safety and Health Achievement and Recognition Program, or SHARP. SHARP recognizes employers who operate exemplary safety and health programs and exempts them from OSHA's general scheduled inspections.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDLWD), responsible for investigating safety hazards, and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), responsible for investigating health hazards, administer the New Jersey Public Employee Occupational Safety and Health Program (PEOSH). PEOSH's standards augment and supersede OSHA standards. It covers state, county and town government officials, as well as employees with public authorities, school districts and paid and volunteer fire departments. Private employers and all other agencies must follow national OSHA standards.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission provides businesses with free consultation services to help employers recognize and control potential safety and health hazards, among other topics. The consultations are confidential, so no information is used to assess penalties. The Commission also oversees important labor issues in the state, including minimum wage, overtime pay, work hours, whistleblower laws, child labor laws and discrimination. Low-income residents of Louisiana may be eligible for free legal aid regarding labor concerns through the following programs: Acadiana Legal Services Corporation Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Legal Services of North Louisiana New Orleans Legal Assistance Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

The Ohio Wage and Hour Administration addresses issues of civil rights, minimum wage laws, minor labor, workers' compensation and employment discrimination. The Administration can be reached directly with questions about state labor laws at webmaster@wagehour.com.state.oh.us or (614) 644-2239.

Job Titles:

• Employee Safety Training

The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training's Labor Standards Unit administers and enforces labor laws within the state.

Some Cal/OSHA standards are stricter than federal OSHA regulations. California workers can train 100% online to satisfy their Cal/OSHA training requirements and earn an OSHA DOL card that's accepted nationwide.

The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) covers most public and private-sector employees, exempting federal employees, the United States Postal Service, those working at Tennessee Valley Authority facilities, military personnel, employees at U.S. government properties, private-sector maritime employees and railroad workers. The Tennessee Department of Labor has teamed up with Tennessee State University to provide free safety and health consultation services to help reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace. There is no cost associated with these consultations, and none of the findings are reported to inspectors. You won't face any fines as a result of the consultation, although you will be required to correct serious hazards.

The Utah Division of Occupational Safety and Health (UOSH) covers most public and private-sector employees, exempting federal employees, the United States Postal Service, military personnel, private-sector maritime employees and certain agricultural related operations (field sanitation and temporary labor camps). In the 1950s, well before the federal government created OSHA, Utah established orders and regulations about workplace safety. UOSH provides worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, safety and health training, management leadership training and employee involvement training.

The Washington Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) covers most public and private-sector employees, exempting federal employees, the United States Postal Service, floating maritime operations and those working at military reservations, national parks, Indian reservations and Trust Lands.