WORKPLACE SAFETY CONSULTATION AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM Workplace Safety Consultation (WSC) , a separate unit within DLI, offers free, confidential help to employers—especially smaller, higher‑hazard employers—to identify hazards and improve safety programs. • WSC site visits do not result in citations or penalties if the employer corrects serious hazards in a timely manner. • Consultants provide written reports with recommendations and can refer employers to additional resources. Key WSC programs include : • MNSHARP – Recognizes small, high‑hazard employers with exemplary safety and health programs. Eligible employers receive comprehensive consultations, develop action plans, and can earn MNSHARP certificates , which provide temporary exemptions from programmed MNOSHA inspections while maintaining performance. • MNSTAR – Minnesota’s version of OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) , open to larger employers with mature, management‑driven safety systems and below‑average injury/illness rates. Participation requires a detailed application, self‑assessment, and on‑site evaluation. • Labor‑management safety and health committees – Required for employers with 25 or more employees , and for some smaller employers based on injury rates or workers’ compensation classifications. WSC can assist committees with training and program development. • Safety and health education outreach – WSC offers statewide seminars, workshops, and on‑site training on OSHA standards and common hazards. • Safety grant program – Provides matching grants (up to a specified cap to qualifying employers to implement projects that reduce injury and illness risks, based on recommendations from safety professionals. Eligibility criteria, grant amounts, and program details change periodically; employers should consult current DLI/WSC guidance. WORKPLACE VIOLENCE AND EMERGING HAZARDS Although there is no specific federal OSHA standard for workplace violence, MNOSHA can use the general duty clause to cite employers who fail to address known workplace‑violence hazards in higher‑risk settings (for example, health care, social services, late‑night retail, taxi and transit, hospitality, and security). WSC supports employers in assessing and mitigating workplace violence risk through: • On‑site consultations and hazard assessments. • Training and educational materials. • Assistance with written workplace‑violence prevention policies and procedures.
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