Lincoln, NE — Private employers and certain public employers in Nebraska are no longer required to have workplace safety committees, under a recently enacted law.
L.B. 397, introduced by Sen. Mike Moser (R-Columbus) and signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen (R) on Feb. 25, states that the safety committee requirement now applies to only public employers subject to the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Act. Those committees must maintain a written injury prevention program, as required by amendments proposed by Sen. John Cavanaugh (D-Omaha) and adopted Feb. 9.
“For public employers subject to collective-bargaining agreements, the establishment of the safety committee may be accomplished through the collective-bargaining process,” the law states.
The law also ends a state workplace safety consultation program. Under that program, the state’s Department of Labor conducted workplace inspections and consultations to determine whether employers were complying with standards issued by the federal OSHA or the Mine Safety and Health Administration for safe and healthful workplaces.
Nebraska doesn’t operate as a State Plan program, so federal OSHA enforces workplace safety and health regulations for private employers in the state.
