{"id":"DUT-MT-010","kind":"duty","level":"state","jurisdiction":"Montana","state":"MT","metro":"","industry":"","agency":"","eco":"","issuer":"Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated, Title 50, ch. 71)","authority":"Mont. Code Ann. Title 50, ch. 71 (Occupational Safety and Health), part 2 (Duties of Employer and Employee)","instrument":"Mont. Code Ann. 50-71-201","title":"Employer to provide safe workplace and to purchase, furnish, and require use of health and safety items -- safe practices","dateIssued":"2026-09-28","effective":"standing","end":"standing","startDate":"2026-09-28","endDate":"","quarters":["2020Q2","2020Q3","2020Q4","2021Q1","2021Q2","2021Q3"],"types":["DUTY","EMP"],"addressees":["employers (every public or private employer)"],"clause":"Each employer shall: (1) furnish a place of employment that is safe for each of the employer\u0027s employees;... (3) adopt and use practices, means, methods, operations, and processes that are reasonably adequate to render the place of employment safe; and (4) do any other thing reasonably necessary to protect the life, health, and safety of the employer\u0027s employees.","enforcement":"Part 2 states the duty without its own penalty; the Department of Labor and Industry\u0027s inspection, penalty and stop-work scheme (50-71-116 to -120) applies to public sector employers only (50-71-115; read, not saved); for private employers the federal general duty clause, 29 U.S.C. 654(a)(1), and OSHA\u0027s citation authority supplied the enforcement layer","functions":[],"notes":"Every Montana employer (\u0027employer\u0027 as defined in 39-71-117, the workers\u0027 compensation definition, per 50-71-204) owed a standing, mandatory duty to furnish a safe workplace, to furnish and \u0027require the use of\u0027 protective devices including air masks, to adopt \u0027practices, means, methods, operations, and processes that are reasonably adequate to render the place of employment safe\u0027 and to \u0027do any other thing reasonably necessary to protect the life, health, and safety\u0027 of employees; the distancing, screening, sanitation, ventilation, telework and face-covering measures of 2020-2021 are the \u0027practices, means, methods, operations, and processes\u0027 this section commands once the health authorities defined what a safe workplace required.","sourceUrl":"https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0500/chapter_0710/part_0020/section_0010/0500-0710-0020-0010.html","snapshot":"","fileExists":true,"fileBytes":85273,"grade":"primary","character":"workplace_duty","description":"","collection":"DUT-MT","url":"/library/DUT-MT-010","exhibitUrl":"/exhibit/DUT-MT-010","citation":"Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated, Title 50, ch. 71), Mont. Code Ann. 50-71-201 (standing) (Ex. DUT-MT-010)","stateName":"Montana","related":["DUT-MT-011","DUT-MT-022"]}