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January 2014
 
Below is a recap of recent news from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. DLI oversees the state's apprenticeship, construction codes and licensing, occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, and workers' compensation programs.Learn more about the agency.


DLI minimum-wage report shows 83,000 Minnesota workers make $7.25 and hour or less
  
The new 2013 Minnesota Minimum-Wage Report presents trends and statistics about minimum-wage workers in Minnesota from August 2012 through July 2013.
 
Findings show there are approximately1.57 million hourly workers in Minnesota; an estimated 83,000 workers make $7.25 an hour or less; 40 percent of minimum-wage workers are older than 24; women are more likely than men to be paid the minimum wage; 20 percent of minimum-wage workers are at or below the poverty line; and much more.
  
Bitter cold prompts Minnesota OSHA to add cold-related stress resources
  
As Minnesota's outdoor temperatures plunged and icy winds picked up, Minnesota OSHA Compliance added safety and health information about cold stress -- how to recognize it and how to avoid it -- to its Web pages.
  
Four factors contribute to cold stress:  cold air temperatures, high velocity air movement, dampness of the air and contact with cold water or surfaces. Cold stress can result in tissue damage and possibly death.
  
The resources on the page include a safety and health guide, a hazard alert about removing snow from rooftops and other elevated surfaces, and more.
  
Health support specialist apprenticeship program brings positive change 

A health support specialist (HSS) is an adult caregiver role based on a college curriculum along with an on-the-job apprenticeship program. It features team-based, person-directed environments where both experienced and new workers can thrive.

 

In the newest edition of Apprenticeship Works - the newsletter of apprenticeship in Minnesota and sent to subscribers in January - caregivers in Rushford, Minn., share their experiences with transitioning to HSS roles from more traditional caregiver career paths. Read the story in Apprenticeship Works ...    

  

Subscribe to receive the quarterly editions of the Apprenticeship Works newsletter at www.dli.mn.gov/APPR/works.asp.  


Magazine ranks Minnesota at (almost) number one in survey mash-up
  
POLITICO Magazine recently ranked Minnesota number two in the country when comparing state rankings from 14 reputable sources, such as the Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FBI. Then, in an admittedly unscientific mash-up of the information, POLITICO came up with their own rankings based on factors such as the high school graduation rate, the per capita income, life expectancy and the crime rate.
  
The other four in the top five are:  1. New Hampshire; 3. Vermont; 
4. Utah and 5. Massachusetts. The five at the bottom of the list are:  47. Alabama; 48. Tennessee; 49. Arkansas; 50. Louisiana; and 51. Mississippi.
  
(There are 51 in the ranking, because POLITICO included the District of Columbia, which ranked 46th.)
  

      
January's MNOSHA Safety Lines published


The January edition of Minnesota OSHA's quarterly Safety Lines newsletter has been published. This edition features information about MNOSHA's annual review, creating a successful safety committee, product and equipment recalls and advisoriies, answers to frequently asked questions, the handling of hazardous drugs, past and future Minnesota OSHA events, and more.

 

Staff members from MNOSHA Compliance, MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation, and DLI's Research and Statistics unit regularly contribute to the newsletter.

 

View the January 2014 edtion ... 

'Record' interest in recordkeeping event; another session added
 
Minnesota employers are required to keep track of work-related injuries and illnesses using recordkeeping forms and methods developed by federal OSHA and adopted by Minnesota OSHA.
 
Because many workplaces have few injuries and the staff may be unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the recordkeeping process, the Department of Labor and Industry scheduled an instructional, free recordkeeping event on Jan. 29. Due to high demand for the information and assistance, another sessions has been scheduled for March 7.
 
"Labor and Industry is committed to ensuring equitable, healthy and safe work and living environments in Minnesota. Through outreach, education and compliance efforts, we strive to improve the quality of life for Minnesota workers and their families."
-- DLI Commissioner Ken Peterson
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