Louisiana (Federal OSHA)

Louisiana has no state OSHA plan, so federal OSHA covers private employers on land. Refineries and chemical plants along the Mississippi River, shipyards, ports and offshore energy work make Louisiana an industrial state, and intense heat, humidity and hurricanes affect almost every job.

• Construction
• General Industry
• Louisiana
• Mississippi

At a glance

Offshore and on the water

Work offshore and on vessels is split between agencies. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) regulate much offshore oil and gas work, and OSHA covers some maritime work, such as shipyards and longshoring. Maritime workers may be covered by federal compensation laws such as the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act or the Jones Act instead of state workers’ comp. Ask your employer which rules apply to your job. See Working Over Water.

Workers’ comp in Louisiana

• Report your injury to your employer within 30 days.
• You may choose one treating doctor in each specialty, such as your own orthopedic doctor, without the employer’s approval. Later changes need approval.
• A claim generally must be filed within 1 year of the accident. If benefits were paid, the deadline runs from the last payment (and up to 3 years from the last medical payment for medical claims).

See Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim.

Louisiana hazards to watch

• Plants and turnarounds: process safety, hot work, confined spaces and many contractors at once. See Refinery Turnarounds and Process Safety Management.
• Heat and humidity: Louisiana has no state heat rule, but federal OSHA expects water, rest, shade and acclimatization. FR clothing adds heat stress. See Heat Illness Rules by State.
• Hurricanes and flooding: plan for evacuation, and be careful during cleanup. See Disaster Cleanup.
• Shipyards: see Shipyard Workers.

Report, complain and get help

• Severe injuries: report a death within 8 hours and an in-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye within 24 hours to federal OSHA.
• Safety complaints: federal OSHA online or at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).
• Retaliation: file with OSHA within 30 days. See Whistleblower Protection.
• Free consultation: the Louisiana Workforce Commission program gives small businesses confidential help that doesn’t lead to citations.

Your first-week checklist in Louisiana

• Report any injury to your employer within 30 days
• Know which doctor you’d choose for a work injury
• Learn the plant alarms, muster points and wind direction indicators
• Check the heat plan, especially if you wear FR clothing
• Know your employer’s hurricane plan

Last updated: October 2, 2026