50-78-402. Complaints, investigation, and penalties. - Montana Statutes

     50-78-402. Complaints, investigation, and penalties. (1) An employee in a workplace covered by the OSHA standard who believes the employer is not complying with the provisions of the OSHA standard may report the alleged violation to the federal occupational safety and health administration.
     (2) An employee who believes an employer is not complying with the provisions of this chapter may submit a written complaint to the local health officer, as defined and described in Title 50, chapter 2, part 1.
     (3) If the local health officer chooses to act on the complaint, the officer shall:
     (a) within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint, investigate the complaint and, in the event of an apparent violation, seek a corrective response from the employer;
     (b) within 10 working days of receipt of a complaint, complete a report that details the findings of the investigation and the response of the employer;
     (c) upon completion of the report, submit copies to the employee requesting the investigation, the county attorney, and the employer; and
     (d) if the evidence suggests that the employer has violated the provisions of this chapter and the health officer does not receive a corrective response within 10 days of notifying the employer of the violation, file a complaint in the appropriate court or request appropriate action by the county attorney to prosecute the alleged violation.
     (4) An employee may submit a written complaint to the county attorney.
     (5) The county attorney shall investigate any complaint received and, if a violation appears to have occurred and the county attorney does not receive a corrective response within 10 days of notifying the employer of the violation, initiate appropriate court proceedings to prosecute the violation.
     (6) A person found to be knowingly in violation of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor. Each day of violation is a separate offense.

     History: En. Sec. 15, Ch. 641, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1897, Ch. 56, L. 2009.