CCP 06-09-1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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------ -----_-.-_._---- I SECTION I BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION I The occupational Safety and Health Act for the State of Minnesota was signed into law on May -- 23,1973. The law includes the state, counties, towns, cities, school districts and other governmental subdivisions within the state. Prior to enactment by the State of Minnesota on May 23, 1993, the responsibility of enforcement I of the Occupational Safety and Health Act was the responsibility of the Federal Government. Within the State of Minnesota, the areas of safety inspection were carried out by the State I Industrial Commission. Lack of personnel at both the Federal and State level allowed unsafe conditions to prevail in the public as well as the private areas of employment. The law requires that: Every employer shall furnish employment which is safe for employees . engaged therein, shall furnish and use safety devices and safeguards, prescribe hours of labor reasonably adequate to render such employment safe, and shall do every other thing reasonably . necessary to protect the life, health, safety and welfare of such employees and frequenters. The State also requires by law that each employee shall comply with occupational safety and I health standards and all rules, regulations and orders issued pursuantto this act which are applicable to his own actions; and conduct. No employee shall remove, displace, damage, destroy or carry off any safety device or safeguard furnished or provided for use in any I employment or place of employment or frequenter of such place of employment, or fail to follow or obey orders, and to do every other thing reasonably necessary to protect the life, health, safety and welfare of such employees and frequenters. ~ Any employee or representative of employees who believes that a violation of a safety or health I standard exists that threatens physical harm, or that imminent danger exists, shall inform his supervisor or department head of the hazard. If no action is taken in a reasonable amount of time, the employee may request an inspection by giving notice to the commissioner of such I violation or danger. Any such notice shall be reduced to writing, shall set forth with reasonable particularity the grounds for the notice, and shall be signed by the employee or representative of employees. A copy of the notice shall be provided to the employer or his agent no later than the I time of the inspection, except that upon the request of the person giving such notice, his name and the names of individual employees referred to therein shall not appear in such copy or on any record published, released or made available. I Employees are encouraged to report violations and unsafe conditions, and no employee shall be discharged or in any way discriminated against because they filed a complaint or reported a I violation of unsafe conditions. Since the City of Arden Hills is held responsible for all accidents, and has provided safety I equipment for all employees where hazards exist, it now becomes necessary to implement the Safety Policy described above and to enforce the use of this safety equipment. I I -- I