Montana Safety & Health Bureau

The Montana Department of Labor & Industry's Safety and Health Bureau's goal is to help improve safety and health in the workplace. The Bureau consists of four sections: Compliance, Consultation, Mine, & Outreach. 

If you are looking for help on how to create a safer workplace, please check out our FREE Safety and Health Consultation service in the video provided:

Request a FREE Consultation

See below how each section of our Safety and Health Bureau contributes to improving the safety and health of Montana's workplaces:

 

  • Consultation

     The Consultation Program provides on-site consultation services to both the private and public sectors; this includes small companies, city, county, and state entities. The goal is to help identify and correct safety and health hazards to reduce potential accidents, injuries, and monetary penalties from regulatory bodies. Consultations are confidential, conducted at no charge, and can include any of the following:  
    •    Walk-through survey: safety and/or health
    •    Safety and health program assessment
    •    Industrial hygiene sampling (noise, dust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), etc.)
    •    Technical assistance
    •    SHARP participation
    •    Training 

    To request a consultation, call (406) 494-0324 or via email at: Free Safety Consultation Request.

    Last Updated 10/7/21

  • Mine 

    The Mine Section provides scheduled mine safety training and is responsible for workplace safety and health compliance in coal mines and sand and gravel operations. Click on the Mine Safety & Health Link to see the types of training available and the training schedule.

    To contact the Mine Section, call (406) 444-6401.

    Last Updated 10/7/21

  • Education and Outreach

    Did you know that the Education and Outreach Section provides FREE OSHA 10-Hour Training in Construction and General Industry in high schools and colleges across the state? In addition, we also partner with Job Service Offices across the state to provide classes to Montana’s business community.  Another great perk of requesting a FREE Safety and Health Consultation for your business is that you can receive free training when it works best for you and your employees. 

    SafetyFestMT is the most significant outreach effort by the Department of Labor & Industry. There are four events throughout the year in different locations throughout Montana. Training topics for these events are chosen depending on the needs of local communities and are 100% free.  To learn more about SafetyFest, visit https://safetyfestmt.dli.mt.gov/.

    Last Updated 10/7/21

  • Compliance

    The Compliance Section has jurisdiction over public sector employment safety, including State, County, and City workers. Our goal is to ensure that each public employer provides a safe work environment for their employees and adheres to the requirements of the Montana Safety Culture Act (MSCA) and OSHA regulations.  The Compliance Section performs workplace inspections, accident investigations, and responses to safety complaints. They must issue a compliance report that identifies any deficiencies of the MSCA or safety hazards found during an inspection. Additionally, they have the authority to issue a temporary stop-work order and fines if necessary.

    The Compliance Unit currently enforces the following two elements of the Montana Safety Culture Act as serious Violations:

    1. 39-71-1505 (ii) Job or task-specific training; and
    2. 39-71-1505 (iii) b Periodic hazard assessment, with corrective actions identified

    Compliance Emphasis Beginning January 1, 2019

    Beginning January 1, 2019, the Unit will incorporate three additional elements of the MSCA into its emphasis program.  These elements include:

    1. 39-71-1505(1)(a)(i) requires that employers provide a documented new employee general safety orientation;
    2. 39-71-1505(2) requires that an employer of more than five employees have a comprehensive and effective safety program, including but not limited to:
      1. a safety committee composed of equal representation of employee and employer representatives that hold regularly scheduled meetings at least every four months.
      2. procedures of reporting and investigating all work-related incidents, accidents, injuries, and illnesses.

     If you work for a public sector entity and would like to report an unsafe workplace, please call (406) 444-6401.

    Last Updated 10/7/21

  • If you have questions regarding the Safety and Health Bureau or would like to learn more about what we do, please do not hesitate to contact the following specialists:

    Administrative Support
    Helena - Lana Cooper (lacooper@mt.gov or 406-444-6401)

    Consultation Unit Supervisor
    Tiffany Ott (tott@mt.gov or 406-494-0324)

    Outreach Unit Supervisor
    Michael Horner (Michael.Horner2@mt.gov or 406-444-5267)

    Compliance Unit Supervisor
    Jake Sandau (jsandau@mt.gov or 406-444-6595)

  • As the Treasure State reopens and more Montanans get back to work, the Safety and Health Bureau wants to make sure employers and employees have the resources they need to navigate the new normal.  This Resource Guide lists industry-specific resources available to you to help ensure your safety as we transition back to work.
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