The Pennsylvania State Senate unanimously passed SB 147, which was signed into law on June 30, 2021 by Governor Tom Wolf. The Bill adds requirements to the existing Safety Committee Certification Process.

SB 147 requires employers seeking certification and/or re-certification of their company’s safety committee from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry to provide information regarding the risks associated with substance abuse, including opioid painkiller use. This is in addition to the prior committee requirements such as: safety committee structure and operations, accident investigation priorities, and hazard detection and correction methods.

Significant Provisions

SB147 requires employers to incorporate materials on the risks associated with the use of opioids as part of their certified safety committee. The Bill also adds subsection (a.1) requiring the PA Department of Labor & Industry to notify, develop, and make available resources for employers to comply with this section within 21 days of enactment. Subsection (a.1) was effective upon passage. The rest of SB 147 is effective on October 29, 2021.

PMA Clients who have attended a PMA Organizational Safety Institute session, PA State Safety Committee Recertification Training, need not take any further steps/action to be compliant. PMA has been including information on the impact of opioids and other drugs for the past five years.

PMA offers Safety Committee training online to its clients six times a year, with upcoming sessions scheduled for
July 21, 2021 – 2:00 PM (EST), September 21, 2021 – 10:30 AM (EST), and November 16, 2021 – 2:00 PM (EST).

This course is designed to meet Pennsylvania’s Annual Retraining Requirements for State Certified Safety Committees. To register, visit PMA Websource. For further information, please contact your PMA representative.