4121.47 Violating specific safety rule or employee welfare legislation. - Ohio Statutes

4121.47 Violating specific safety rule or employee welfare legislation.

(A) No employer shall violate a specific safety rule adopted by the administrator of workers’ compensation pursuant to section 4121.13 of the Revised Code or an act of the general assembly to protect the lives, health, and safety of employees pursuant to section 35 of Article II, Ohio Constitution. Chapter 4167. of the Revised Code and rules and standards adopted thereunder are not the rules or enactment referred to in this division and shall not be considered as such for purposes of this section.

(B) If a staff hearing officer, in the course of the staff hearing officer’s determination of a claim for an additional award under Section 35 of Article II, Ohio Constitution, finds the employer guilty of violating division (A) of this section, the staff hearing officer shall, in addition to any award paid to the claimant, issue an order to the employer to correct the violation within the period of time the staff hearing officer fixes. For any violation occurring within twenty-four months of the last violation, the staff hearing officer shall assess against the employer a civil penalty in an amount the staff hearing officer determines up to a maximum of fifty thousand dollars for each violation. In fixing the exact penalty, the staff hearing officer shall base the decision upon the size of the employer as measured by the number of employees, assets, and earnings of the employer.

(C) An employer dissatisfied with the imposition of a civil penalty pursuant to division (B) of this section may appeal the staff hearing officer’s decision, if the commission refuses to hear the appeal under division (E) of section 4123.511 of the Revised Code, or a decision of the commission, if the commission hears the appeal under that division, to a court of common pleas pursuant to the Rules of Civil Procedure. An appeal operates to stay the payment of the fine pending the appeal.

(D) The administrator shall deposit all penalties collected pursuant to this section in the safety and hygiene fund established pursuant to section 4121.37 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 07-11-2001