The plan is to change safety from the roots, over the long-term, instituting systems that make safety an active, visible part of work culture. Responsibility is spread evenly to employers, employees, insurance organizations and government so each becomes an integral part of the statewide system, says Labor Commissioner Laurie Ekanger. It puts the government in the role as educator for safety, not the enforcer. For example, the Labor and Industry Department sponsors an on-site safety and health consultation program as well as one to promote safety education in public schools. Now insurers, not the state, enforce safety regulations through consultations, warnings, penalties, and fines.
Every employer is required to have workers' comp insurance.
If an employer doesn't want a safety program, their premium could be doubled. Employers, as part of this integral system, have to do more than just purchase insurance. A safety committee was also a requirement until the MSCA was amended in 1995. The state recognized that some businesses may work safely without a committee, and can do so with a waiver from the insurance company. Even with the trend toward changing safety cultures, Montana is the only state to address such changes through regulation.