State Workplace Safety and Health Office; establish under State Board of Health.

SB 2447 would create a new Office of Workplace Safety and Health within Mississippi’s Department of Health, established under the State Board of Health. The office would develop and enforce occupational safety standards for all workplaces in Mississippi, provide free consultation and training to employers, and conduct twice-yearly inspections of facilities employing children to ensure compliance with child labor laws. It would collect workplace injury data, coordinate with federal OSHA (without replacing it), and have authority to require safety improvements at workplaces. The bill directly affects all Mississippi employers, particularly those with child labor, and aims to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses through proactive safety measures.