Montana Workplace Safety
The Billings Gazette reports that Montana ranks among the worst states in the country for workplace injuries and illnesses.
In 2016, 4.2 injuries were reported for every 100 full-time workers in Montana — a slight improvement over the rate of 4.3 reported in 2015, and the fourth straight year in which that number has decreased, according to a report released in November by the Department of Labor and Industry. 2016’s rate places Montana behind only Washington, Vermont and Maine.
Montana has spent more than a decade atop the national rankings for its rate of workplace injuries in the private sector. The lack of workplace safety is a frequent topic of debate in the Montana state legislature. A measure to allow Montana to assume regulatory power held by OSHA was briefly considered in 2015. It was opposed by Republicans.