Programs and Services
Enforcement Programs
MIOSHA has two enforcement divisions: the General Industry Safety and Health Division (GISHD) and the Construction Safety and Health Division (CSHD).
The GISHD conducts safety and health inspections and investigations in all places of employment within the state of Michigan except those operations and activities covered by the Construction Safety and Health Division. This includes both private employers and all levels of public sector employers except facilities of the federal government. The division responds to complaints from employees or their representatives, investigates accidents including fatalities and catastrophes, and responds to referrals of unsafe conditions from other government agencies. In addition, the division conducts unannounced inspections at facilities throughout the state in accordance with current priority inspection guidelines. Citations, some with proposed penalties, may be issued to employers as a result of these inspections or investigations. Extensive tracking is done to ensure that the employers make the appropriate corrections to ensure the safety and health of their employees.
The CSHD primarily conducts inspections to enforce occupational safety and health standards in the construction industry, and oversees licensing of asbestos abatement contractors and accreditation of asbestos workers. Enforcement of standards includes: inspection and hazard identification, issuance of citations for violations, and penalty assessment, if any. Types of inspections include: accidents (fatal and non-fatal), employee complaints, general scheduled, referrals, and follow-up. The division enforces safety and health standards in construction workplaces defined in the MIOSH Act as work activity designated in major groups 15, 16, and 17, of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual or code 23 of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). All construction types are inspected including projects such as: road and bridge projects; sewer, water, gas, and electric utility lines; power plants; waste and water treatment plants; high rise construction; factory and other building additions; communication and power transmission towers; and single family homes.
Voluntary and Cooperative Programs
MIOSHA's Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division educates employers and employees in safety and health awareness so they are better prepared to recognize, control and prevent hazardous working conditions. A statewide staff of experienced, professional occupational safety consultants, construction safety specialists, and industrial hygienists provide CET services. CET provides workplace safety and health training and consultations to employers and employees throughout Michigan. CET provides the ability for employers to learn proactively about the workplace safety and health rules that affect their workplace, to understand best practices for creating and maintaining a safe work environment, and to strive for program recognition of significant workplace safety and health program performance.
Informal Conferences and Appeals
The MIOSHA Appeals Division provides employers, employees and the agency with fair, objective and professional services for resolution of contested MIOSHA cases. The MIOSH Act provides for a two-step appeal process for employers and/or employees to appeal any citations issued by the enforcement divisions. If the citations cannot be resolved through the informal conference process utilized by the enforcement divisions, the case is transmitted to the Appeals Division where pre-hearings and/or formal hearings are conducted.
Other MIOSHA Divisions & Services
The Management and Technical Services Division (MTSD) is responsible for a variety of services to MIOSHA staff and clients. MTSD staff prepare and administer most of the grants and contracts related to the federal programs that MIOSHA supports and monitor budget activity. The program areas include: The Laboratory and Equipment Services Section (LESS) includes an industrial hygiene laboratory, which is accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association, for analysis of air and material samples for occupational exposure to air and physical contaminants. LESS also includes an instrument calibration and maintenance program for providing field instrumentation to MIOSHA industrial hygienists and safety officers to assess exposure to chemical and physical hazards in the workplace.
The Management Information Systems Section (MISS) is responsible for compilation of accurate and timely injury and illness data, provides information to MIOSHA clients about recordkeeping requirements, prepares statistical information and reports to programs about enforcement activities, monitors data related to MIOSHA strategic planning activities, and provides computer and software support to other MIOSHA programs.
The MIOSHA Standards Section (MSS) provides services for the promulgation of Michigan occupational safety and health standards and rules. MSS coordinates the activities of three commissions (the Construction Safety Standards Commission, the General Industry Safety Standards Commission, and the Occupational Health Standards Commission) and related advisory committees, and also conducts other activities, such as public hearings to receive comments on draft standards. The Freedom of Information Section coordinates and prepares most of the responses from MIOSHA for requests for information under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. FOIS also supports MIOSHA staff with information for depositions and subpoenas.
The Consultation Education and Training (CET) Grants Administrator manages the CET Grant Program. The CET Grants supplement MIOSHA activities by providing competitive grants to nonprofit organizations to provide training and education in emerging safety and health issues, to address particularly dangerous occupations, and to extend MIOSHA's impact through "train-the-trainer" projects and for difficult to reach target groups.
The Wage & Hour Division administers and enforces wage protection laws in Michigan (the Payment of Wages and Fringe Benefits Act, the Minimum Wage Act, the Youth Employment Standards Act, and the Prevailing Wages on State Projects Act).
Read more about this topic: Michigan Occupational Safety And Health Administration
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