SB-0647, As Passed Senate, May 18, 2004                                     

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 647

                                                                             A bill to amend 1974 PA 154, entitled                                             

"Michigan occupational safety and health act,"                              

by amending sections 6 and 29 (MCL 408.1006 and 408.1029) and by            

adding sections 17 and 32.                                                  

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 6.  (1) "Place of employment" means a factory, plant,                  

2   establishment, construction site or other similar area,                     

3   workplace, or environment where an employee is permitted to                 

4   work.                                                                       

5       (2) "Political subdivision" means a city, village, township,                

6   county, school district, intermediate school district, or state             

7   or local government authorized or supported agency, authority, or           

8   institution.                                                                

9       (3) "Rule" means a rule as defined by section 7 of  Act                     

10  No. 306 of the Public Acts of 1969, being section 24.207 of the             

House Bill No. 647 (H-1) as amended May 5, 2004

1   Michigan Compiled Laws the administrative procedures act of                

2   1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.207.  A rule may only be promulgated by           

3   the director of  labor the department of labor and economic                

4   growth [or director of health] except           

5   as otherwise specifically prescribed in this act.                           

6       (4) "Serious violation" means a violation of this act, an                   

7   order issued  pursuant to under this act, or a rule or standard            

8   promulgated under this act or adopted by reference  pursuant to

9   under this act for which a substantial probability exists that              

10  death or serious physical harm could result from the violation or           

11  from a practice, means, method, operation, or process  which

12  that is in use, unless the employer did not and could not, with             

13  the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of the presence of the           

14  violation.                                                                  

15      (5) "Standard" means a health or safety standard which                      

16  specifies conditions, or the adoption or use of 1 or more                   

17  practices, means, methods, operations, or processes necessary to            

18  provide safe and healthful employment in places of employment.              

19  Except as otherwise specifically prescribed in this act, standard           

20  includes only the following:                                                

21      (a) General industry safety standards commission may                        

22  promulgate a standard relative to occupational safety.                      

23      (b) Construction safety standards commission may promulgate                 

24  a standard relative to construction safety.                                 

25      (c) Occupational health standards commission may promulgate                 

26  a standard relative to occupational health.                                 

27      (6) "Standards promulgation commission" means the general                   

1   industry safety standards commission, the construction safety               

2   standards commission, or the occupational health standards                  

3   commission.                                                                 

4       (7) "Trade secret" means a confidential process, formula,                   

5   pattern, device, or compilation of information which is used in             

6   the employer's business and which gives him an opportunity to               

7   obtain an advantage over competitors who do not know or use it.             

8       (8) "Wilful"  , for means the following:                                   

9       (a) For the purpose of criminal prosecutions,  means  the                   

10  intent to do an act knowingly and purposely by an individual who,           

11  having a free will and choice, either intentionally disregards a            

12  requirement of this act  ,  or a rule or a standard  promulgated            

13  pursuant to adopted under this act  ,  or is knowingly and                 

14  purposely indifferent to a requirement of this act  ,  or a rule            

15  or a standard  promulgated pursuant to adopted under this act.             

16  An omission or failure to act is wilful if it is done knowingly             

17  and purposely.  Wilful does not require a showing of moral                  

18  turpitude, evil purpose, or criminal intent provided the                    

19  individual is shown to have acted or to have failed to act                  

20  knowingly and purposely.                                                    

21  (b) For purposes of an administrative action under this act,                

22  an action performed with knowledge of the hazardous condition and           

23  action with a knowing and purposeful intentional disregard of               

24  this act, rule, or standard despite that knowledge.  Wilful shall           

25  be established by factual demonstration of the following:                   

26                                                                               (i) Whether the employer had knowledge that the condition                           

27  was hazardous and did not abate the hazard.                                 

1       (ii) Whether the employer was aware of the standard                          

2   established by this act or by rule.                                         

3       (iii) Whether the employer knew that the condition at issue                  

4   violated a standard established by this act or by rule.                     

5       (iv) Whether the employer had taken steps to comply with the                 

6   standard established by this act or rule.                                   

7       (v) How the employer intentionally and deliberately                         

8   disregarded his or her responsibilities under a specific                    

9   provision of this act or a rule or standard adopted under this              

10  act.

11      (9) "Working day" means any day other than a Saturday,                      

12  Sunday, or state legal holiday.                                             

13  Sec. 17.  The department of labor and economic growth and                   

14  any board or commission created under this act shall not                    

15  promulgate any rules regarding workplace ergonomics.

16      Sec. 29.  (1) To implement this act, a department                           

17  representative, upon presenting appropriate credentials, may                

18  enter without delay  ,  and at reasonable times  ,  a place of              

19  employment to physically inspect or investigate conditions of               

20  employment and all pertinent conditions, equipment, and materials           

21  in the place of employment  ,  and  to may question privately              

22  the employer, owner, operator, agent, or an employee with respect           

23  to safety or health.  The inspection or investigation shall be              

24  conducted without unreasonably disrupting the employer's                    

25  operations.                                                                 

26      (2) If permission to enter a place of employment is denied,                 

27  the department may apply to the proper judicial officer for a               

1   warrant commanding the sheriff or a peace officer to aid the                

2   department in the conduct of an inspection or investigation to              

3   determine if there is a violation of this act or a rule                     

4   promulgated under this act.                                                 

5   (3) During an interview or partial interview conducted as                   

6   part of an inspection, investigation, or violation proceeding,              

7   the interviewee has, and shall be made aware of, the following              

8   rights:                                                                     

9   (a) The right to decline an interview.                                      

10      (b) The right to have the interview conducted in private.                   

11      (c) The right to have present a representative of the                       

12  interviewee.  In such a case, the interview shall be conducted on           

13  a date and in a location mutually agreed upon by all of the                 

14  parties to the interview.                                                   

15      (4) The department may conduct a partial interview where it                 

16  is necessary to ask certain questions in order to establish a               

17  violation of this act or a rule or standard adopted under this              

18  act.  An employer shall not direct an employee to select a                  

19  particular interview option.

20  (5)  (3)  In the conduct of inspections and investigations,                 

21  the appropriate department may require the attendance and                   

22  testimony of witnesses and the production of evidence under                 

23  oath.  Witnesses shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are           

24  paid witnesses in the circuit courts.  In case of a contumacy,              

25  failure, or a refusal of a person to obey an order, the circuit             

26  court within the jurisdiction of which the investigation is                 

27  conducted, or where the person is found or resides or transacts             

1   business, or the circuit court for the county of Ingham, upon               

2   application of the appropriate department, may issue an order               

3   requiring the person to appear and produce evidence or give                 

4   testimony relating to the matter under investigation or in                  

5   question.  , and a failure Failure to obey the order of the                

6   court may be punished as a contempt.                                        

7   (6) All statements relative to a violation proceeding under                 

8   this act or a rule or standard adopted under this act that are              

9   generated by an interview or partial interview shall be in                  

10  writing and shall have the signature of the interviewee.

11  (7)  (4)  A representative of the employer and a                            

12  representative authorized by the employees shall be given the               

13  opportunity to accompany the department representative during the           

14  inspection or investigation of a place of employment to aid the             

15  inspection or investigation, subject to rules promulgated by the            

16  department.  In case of controversy, the department                         

17  representative, at the time he or she goes into an establishment,           

18  shall determine who may walk around as employer and employee                

19  representatives.  If a representative authorized by the employee            

20  does not participate, the department representative shall consult           

21  with a reasonable number of employees concerning matters of                 

22  safety or health in the place of employment.  The right of                  

23  accompaniment may be denied by the department representative to a           

24  person whose conduct interferes with a fair and orderly                     

25  inspection or investigation.                                                

26  (8)  (5)  In conducting or preparing to conduct an inspection               

27  or investigation, advance notice of the inspection or                       

1   investigation shall not be given except in the following                    

2   situations:                                                                 

3       (a) In cases of apparent imminent danger, to enable the                     

4   employer to abate the danger as quickly as possible.                        

5       (b) In circumstances where the inspection most effectively                  

6   can be conducted after regular business hours or where special              

7   preparations are necessary for an inspection.                               

8       (c) If necessary to assure the presence of representatives of               

9   the employer and employees, or the appropriate personnel needed             

10  to aid in the inspection.                                                   

11      (d) In other circumstances where the department determines                  

12  that the giving of advance notice would enhance the probability             

13  of an effective and thorough inspection.                                    

14  (9)  (6)  Advance notice in any of the situations described                 

15  in subsection  (5) (8) shall not be given more than 24 hours               

16  before the inspection or investigation is scheduled to be                   

17  conducted, except in apparent imminent danger situations and in             

18  other unusual circumstances.                                                

19  (10)  (7)  During the conduct of an inspection or an                        

20  investigation, the department representative may conduct tests              

21  and gather samples of materials and substances as are necessary             

22  to aid in the evaluation of the place of employment.  In                    

23  implementing this subsection, the confidentiality of trade                  

24  secrets shall be protected as prescribed in this act.                       

25  (11)  (8)  Subject to rules promulgated by the departments,                 

26  following the completion of an inspection or investigation, an              

27  opportunity for a conference shall be afforded the employer; the            

1   employee or employee representative; and the employer and the               

2   employee or employee representative if a joint conference is                

3   requested.                                                                  

4   (12)  (9)  In the performance of duties in the administration               

5   and enforcement of this act, a department representative or an              

6   employee of the appropriate department shall not be personally              

7   liable for damages sustained by an action on his or her part,               

8   except for wanton and wilful negligence.                                    

9   (13)  (10)  An employee or the authorized representative of                 

10  an employee who participates in an inspection or investigation,             

11  as provided in subsection  (4) (7), or the conference provided             

12  in subsection  (8) (11), as provided in this section, or the               

13  rules promulgated under this section, shall not suffer a loss of            

14  wages or fringe benefits, or be discriminated against in any                

15  manner, for time spent participating in the inspection,                     

16  investigation, or conference.  An employee or the authorized                

17  representative of an employee who suffers a loss of wages or                

18  fringe benefits, or is discriminated against in any manner, for             

19  participation in an inspection, investigation, or conference, may           

20  file a discrimination complaint, and the department of labor may            

21  order appropriate relief, as provided in section 65.  As used in            

22  this subsection and section 31(2), "wages" and "fringe benefits"            

23  means mean those terms as defined in section 1 of  Act No. 390            

24  of the Public Acts of 1978, being section 408.471 of the Michigan           

25  Compiled Laws 1978 PA 390, MCL 408.471.                                    

26  Sec. 32.  (1) In determining the existence of a wilful                      

27  violation of this act that would subject an employer to the                 

1   penalties in section 35, the department representative shall,               

2   during the inspection concerning such a citation, carefully                 

3   develop and obtain or record all evidence indicating that the               

4   employer had knowledge of the hazardous condition and acted                 

5   knowingly and purposefully with intentional disregard of the act            

6   or a rule or standard adopted under this act despite that                   

7   knowledge.                                                                  

8       (2) In determining whether a wilful violation citation should               

9   issue, the department representative shall document and retain              

10  all facts establishing the criteria described in section 6(8)(b)            

11  for consideration by the trier-of-fact in any appeal proceeding             

12  relative to a contested citation of a wilful violation.