South Carolina OSHA : What you need to know

• Rules. South Carolina is a “state-plan” state; that is, it has its own federally approved state workplace safety and health regulatory program. The South Carolina law applies to all employers, in both public and private sector workplaces. The state law has adopted the federal rules by reference and has adopted stricter state standards for spray finishing areas, respiratory protection for structural fire fighting, and lifting carriages on forklifts. See the national section OSHA for information about federal standards.

• Administration and enforcement. LLR administers and enforces safety and health in private and public sector workplaces.

All state government operations and offices, and political subdivisions of the state (e.g., agencies, municipalities, schools), are covered under the state workplace safety and health rules.

Employers that want help in recognizing and correcting safety and health hazards and in improving their safety and health programs may obtain it from a free consultation service largely funded by federal OSHA. The safety and health consultation program addresses immediate problems and offers advice and help in maintaining continued protection. In recognition of its efforts, a company may be excluded from scheduled LLR enforcement inspections for 1 year when it has a complete examination of the workplace, corrects all identified hazards, posts notices of the corrections, and institutes the core elements of an effective safety and health program.

The consultation service is primarily targeted for smaller businesses in higher hazard industries or with especially hazardous ...