top ten percent of all rates for employers in the same industry; or the workers’ compensation premium classification assigned to the greatest portion of the payroll for that employer has a pure premium rate, as reported by the workers’ compensation rating association, in the top 25 percent of premium rates for all classes. If both the labor and management representatives request it, WSC is available to help interpret OSHA standards, offer training in self-inspection techniques, and prepare and assist in the preparation and implementation of educational and training programs. Safety and Health Education Outreach Program WSC offers workshops to help educate employers and employees about workplace safety and health hazards and the OSHA standards that address them. The goal of these workshops is to lower injury and illness rates, and reduce workplace injury costs, by helping employers implement and maintain effective safety and health programs. WSC, in partnership with 13 organizations throughout the state, offers a series of one-day safety and health seminars. Specific topics change each calendar quarter. In addition, upon request WSC will offer safety and health training to individual companies or organizations, by means of either an informal training session accompanied by an on-site consultation, or a formal training session. Safety Grants Program The Safety Grant program awards up to $10,000 to qualifying employers for the cost of projects designed to reduce the risk of injury and illness to their employees. To qualify, an employer must have workers’ compensation insurance, be under MNOSHA’s jurisdiction; a qualified safety professional must have conducted an on-site safety inspection and issued a written report with recommendations based on that inspection; the project must be consistent with the recommendations of that inspection, it must reduce the risk of injury or disease, and it must be feasible; the employer must be committed to the project’s implementation, including an ability to provide funds to match the awarded grant amount, as well as be able to cover all estimated project costs by available funds, and; the project must comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Priority for funds is given first to manufacturing businesses, then to workplaces that have had jobs lost due to safety issues, and then, finally, to all other projects. WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PROTECTION Due to the degree to which workplace violence occurs, employers must affirmatively ensure that their own employees are free from job related violence, not only to create a safe working environment for their employees but also to reduce the likelihood of costly litigation and/or compliance settlements arising out of workplace violence issues. While there is currently no standard that regulates violence in the workplace, OSHA’s “general duty clause” (a clause designed to cover hazards where no specific standard exists) is available to place an affirmative duty upon employers to investigate and evaluate workplace hazards, and to develop and implement preventive programs to curb violence and protect employees. The general duty clause could serve as the basis for a MNOSHA citation related to workplace violence. In addition, federal OSHA has developed guidelines concerning job-related violence in late-night retail establishments, health care and social service industries, and for taxi drivers.
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