2021 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 41 - Labor and Employment
Chapter 15 - Occupational Health And Safety
Section 41-15-260. Interrogation; inspection; warrant for inspection; issuance; return; records of warrants issued.

(A) The Director, his inspectors, compliance officers, agents or designees, upon proper presentation of credentials to the owner, manager or agent of the employer, shall enter at reasonable times and have the right to question either publicly or privately any such employer, owner, manager, agent or the employees of the employer and inspect, investigate, reproduce, photograph and sample all pertinent places, sites, areas, work injury records and such other records during regular working hours and at other reasonable times, and within reasonable limits, and in a reasonable manner when such comes under the jurisdiction of the Director to enforce the occupational safety and health provisions of this title.

(B) If an inspector is denied admission for purposes of inspection, the Director may seek a warrant as follows:

(1) Any circuit judge having jurisdiction where the inspection and investigation is to be conducted is empowered to issue administrative warrants upon proper showing of the need for such entry. Such inspection and investigation may include interviewing of employees, photographing, reproducing, sampling, and such other tests and acts as are necessary to carry out the purposes of the inspection and investigation.

(2) A warrant shall be issued only upon an affidavit of an officer or employee of the Division of Labor duly designated and having knowledge of the facts alleged, sworn to before the circuit judge establishing the grounds for issuing the warrant and certifying that request for permission to conduct the inspection has been made to the employer concerned and was refused and that the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation or his designee has authorized the application for issuance of the warrant. If the circuit judge is satisfied that grounds for the application exist, he shall issue a warrant identifying the area, premises, building or conveyance to be inspected, the purpose of such inspection, and, where appropriate, the type of property to be inspected. The warrant shall be directed to a person authorized by the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation or his designee to execute it. The warrant shall state the grounds for issuance with the supporting affidavit being made a part thereof. It shall command the person to whom it is directed to inspect the area, premises, building, or conveyance identified for the purpose specified. The warrant shall direct that it be served at a reasonable time. It shall designate the circuit judge to whom it shall be returned.

(3) A warrant issued pursuant to this section shall be served within ten days and returned within thirty days of its date of issue. The circuit judge who has issued a warrant under this section shall attach to the warrant a copy of the return and all papers filed in connection therewith and shall cause them to be filed with the court which issued such warrant.

(4) Any circuit judge authorized to issue warrants pursuant to this section shall keep a record along with a copy of the return warrant and supporting affidavit and documents for a period of three years from date of issuance of each warrant. The record shall be on a form prescribed by the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation or his designee and reflect as to each warrant:

(a) Date and exact time of issue;

(b) Name of person to whom warrant issued;

(c) Name of person whose establishment or site is to be inspected;

(d) Reason for issuance of warrant;

(e) Date and time of return.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 40-266; 1971 (57) 505; 1973 (58) 358; 1979 Act No. 175 Section 1; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 977, eff February 1, 1994.

Effect of Amendment

The 1993 amendment in subsection (B), paragraphs (2) and (4), substituted "Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation or his designee" for "Commissioner of Labor" and "Division of Labor" for "Department of Labor".