About the
Iowa Labor Services Division
Dave Neil, Commissioner
The Division of Labor Services is responsible
for about a dozen programs designed to protect the safety, health and economic security of
all Iowans. Our programs protect people who ride on elevators, escalators and
amusement rides. We protect anyone who enters a building with an asbestos abatement
project or public building with a boiler. We protect employees from dangers in
the workplace and improve their economic security. We protect Iowa's children from
dangers in workplaces and enhance their educational experiences.
For a brief description
of Division of Labor programs, see below. To view the Iowa
Code that created the Division of Labor,
click here and search for Chapter 91.
Employers can learn about potential hazards at
their worksites and improve their occupational safety and health management systems by
using our free consultation service. This service is delivered by the state of Iowa using
well-trained, professional staff. Most consultations take place on-site, though limited
services away from the worksite are available. This program is completely separate
from the IOSH Enforcement staff; no citations are issued or penalties proposed, and it is
confidential.
Safety and Health Awareness Recognition
Program (SHARP) and Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) are company recognition programs
for safety and health management awarded by the Commissioner of Labor on behalf of the
Governor of Iowa.
The Education section offers a variety of
safety education videos that can be borrowed free of charge by the public, and a wide
selection of OSHA publications and informational fact sheets. Speaking engagements,
seminars and conferences allow OSHA Consultation and Education staff to encourage large
and small business employers and employees to pursue safety and health management
programs.
Also, FREE training for the 10-hour Voluntary
Compliance OSHA Certificate Course for General Industry or Construction is conducted on a
first-come, first-serve basis, with some classes now being offered throughout the state of
Iowa at specific times and locations. The business requesting the training is provided one
set of course materials to be copied for each participant. For more
information, click here.
IOSH-Enforcement
- The Division of Labor protects employees by conducting inspections
on a priority basis as follows: imminent danger, fatalities/catastrophes,
employee complaints, amputations, and general scheduled inspections of high hazard
industries. Where violations are found, citations and penalties are
proposed. Employers may
appeal citations and penalties to the Employment Appeal Board.
For more information, click here.
Occupational Injury and Illness
Statistics - The Division of Labor protects employees by
coding work-related injuries and illnesses involving days away from work
and analyzing for information that is used in a variety of ways, including
directing OSHA resources to industry classifications for inspections. Annual surveys
of selected employers are conducted. Employee fatalities and catastrophes are to be
reported within eight hours. The OSHA Management Information System is maintained to
monitor performance and to provide data necessary to reduce safety and health hazards in
Iowa's workplaces. For more information ,
click here.
Hazardous Chemicals Emergency and
Community Right-to-Know - State law requires employers to provide local fire
departments with information on chemicals at workplaces and to post signs warning of
fire-related hazards so firefighters can respond in a safe and effective fashion. People
in communities have a right to information about chemicals stored or used. Upon
request, employers are required to show a citizen the material safety data sheet for
chemicals. The federal Emergency Planning Community Right-to-know Act (EPCRA)
requires facilities annually to notify the state, local emergency planning committees, and
fire departments about chemicals used and stored at the facility, depending on the type of
chemical and quantity maintained. A Labor Services Division representative is a member of
the State Emergency Response Commission. For more information,
click here.
Asbestos
Abatement Permits and Professional Licensing - The Division
of Labor protects public health by enforcing licensing and
permitting requirements for asbestos abatement activities. For more
information, click here.
-
Athletic Commission -
The Division of Labor protects
the safety of professional wrestlers, professional shootfighters and professional boxers by enforcing registration and
other requirements. For more information,
click here.
-
Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Safety - The Division of Labor protects public safety by
enforcing Iowa's boiler and pressure vessel safety codes. For more
information, click here.
Construction Contractor
Registration and Bonding - The Division of Labor enforces
construction contractor registration and bonding to benefit workers
and the general public. Construction contractors must register with the Labor
Services Division every two years. Requirements for registration include complying with
workers' compensation laws and obtaining an Iowa Workforce Development employer account
number for unemployment insurance purposes. Out-of-state contractors must file a bond for
most contracts in excess of $5,000 or a blanket bond of $50,000.
For more information, click here.
Wage Payment Collection and Minimum
Wage - The Division of Labor protects the economic
security of workers by enforcing Iowa's minimum wage and wage
payment collection laws. For more information,
click here.
Non-English Speaking Employees - Any
employer with more than 100 hourly employees is covered. If 10 percent of employees
do not speak English, an interpreter must be provided for each shift for a non-English
language. Also, regardless of language, if an employee who was recruited from a
state more than 500 miles away quits within four weeks, the employer must return the
employee to the location of recruitment without cost to the employee.
For more information on 91E,
click here.
Private Employment Agency Licensing
- The Division of Labor is responsible for protecting job
seekers by enforcing licensing of employment agencies that charge
fees to employees. For more information,
click here.
Return to Division of Labor
Home Page
Iowa
Workforce Development
Division of Labor Services
Copyright © 2001 - All Rights Reserved.
Iowa Workforce Development
1000 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0209
Telephone: 515-281-5387 or 800-JOB-IOWA
E-mail: IWD.CustomerService@iwd.iowa.gov
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