Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA), part of the Department of Labor and Industry, runs Minnesota's State Plan. Three state rules shape training and paperwork: the written AWAIR program in listed industries, joint labor-management safety committees, and Employee Right-to-Know training with records kept three years. Here is what the statutes and rules say.
Who MNOSHA covers
According to OSHA's State Plan page, Minnesota's plan covers private-sector workplaces, with some exceptions, and state and local government employers and employees. Federal employers, including the Postal Service, stay with federal OSHA. MNOSHA lists where its rules differ from federal ones on its differences page.
AWAIR: A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction program
Employers in the industries listed in Minn. R. 5208.1500 (by NAICS code) need a written program under Minn. Stat. 182.653, subd. 8. It must describe:
- how managers, supervisors and employees are responsible for it;
- how hazards are identified, analyzed and controlled;
- how the plan is communicated to all affected employees, so they know the hazards and controls;
- how accidents are investigated and corrected, and how safe work rules are enforced.
The employer conducts and documents a review of the program at least annually. See MNOSHA's AWAIR page.
Safety committees
Under Minn. Stat. 182.676, every public or private employer of more than 25 employees establishes a joint labor-management safety committee; since a 2023 amendment, so does a smaller employer that is subject to AWAIR. The committee's recommendations and reports are kept two years (Minn. R. 5208.0050). See our safety committee meeting guide.
Employee Right-to-Know: training every year, records three years
Minn. R. 5206.0700 requires a written program and training before initial assignment for employees routinely exposed to hazardous substances, harmful physical agents or infectious agents. Training updates are repeated at intervals of no more than one year, and training records, with the dates, the trainer, the names of those trained and a summary of the content, are kept three years. Minnesota's indoor heat rule (Minn. R. 5205.0110) points to the same training for employees exposed to heat. This sits on top of federal hazard communication (29 CFR 1910.1200(h)).
Where a quiz fits
A yearly Right-to-Know update and the annual AWAIR review both need something you can show afterwards: who was trained, when, on what.
A short quiz on chemicals, heat or the hazards of the job, played live from phones at the end of a session, shows what people actually understood, not only who signed the sheet. When you need evidence, run the same quiz in Test mode (Trainer plan): each worker answers under their own name, you set the pass mark, and you download a PDF learning assessment record with the date, the topic, the trainer, each person's answers and result, and a signature column. It sits next to the training records the state asks for; it does not replace the training, and Quizhat never certifies anyone. Quizhat is an independent tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA.
State rules change: read the current text on the state's site, or ask the state agency, before you rely on this summary. MNOSHA offers free help through Workplace Safety Consultation.