101.02(3) (3) The department shall employ, promote and remove deputies, clerks and other assistants as needed, to fix their compensation, and to assign to them their duties; and shall appoint advisers who shall, without compensation except reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses, assist the department in the execution of its duties.

101.02(4) (4) The department shall collect, collate and publish statistical and other information relating to the work under its jurisdiction and shall make public reports in its judgment necessary.

101.02(5)(a)(a) The department shall conduct such investigations, hold such public meetings and attend or be represented at such meetings, conferences and conventions inside or outside of the state as may, in its judgment, tend to better the execution of its functions.

101.02(5)(b) (b) For the purpose of making any investigation with regard to any employment or place of employment or public building, the secretary may appoint, by an order in writing, any deputy who is a citizen of the state, or any other competent person as an agent whose duties shall be prescribed in such order.

101.02(5)(c) (c) In the discharge of his or her duties such agent shall have every power of an inquisitorial nature granted in this subchapter to the department, the same powers as a court commissioner with regard to the taking of depositions and all powers granted by law to a court commissioner relative to depositions.

101.02(5)(d) (d) The department may conduct any number of such investigations contemporaneously through different agents, and may delegate to such agent the taking of all testimony bearing upon any investigation or hearing. The decision of the department shall be based upon its examination of all testimony and records. The recommendations made by such agents shall be advisory only and shall not preclude the taking of further testimony if the department so orders nor preclude further investigation.

101.02(5)(e) (e) The secretary may direct any deputy who is a citizen to act as special prosecutor in any action, proceeding, investigation, hearing or trial relating to the matters within its jurisdiction.

101.02(5)(f) (f) Upon the request of the department, the department of justice or district attorney of the county in which any investigation, hearing or trial had under this subchapter is pending, shall aid the department in the investigation, hearing or trial and, under the supervision of the department, prosecute all necessary actions or proceedings for the enforcement and punishment of violations of this subchapter and all other laws of this state relating to the protection of life, health, safety and welfare.

101.02(6)(a)(a) All orders of the department in conformity with law shall be in force, and shall be prima facie lawful; and all such orders shall be valid and in force, and prima facie reasonable and lawful until they are found otherwise upon judicial review thereof pursuant to ch. 227 or until altered or revoked by the department.

101.02(6)(b) (b) All general orders shall take effect as provided in s. 227.22. Special orders shall take effect as therein directed.

101.02(6)(c) (c) The department shall, upon application of any employer or owner, grant such time as may be reasonably necessary for compliance with any order.

101.02(6)(d) (d) Any person may petition the department for an extension of time, which the department shall grant if it finds such an extension of time necessary.

101.02(6)(e) (e) Any employer or other person interested either because of ownership in or occupation of any property affected by any such order, or otherwise, may petition for a hearing on the reasonableness of any order of the department in the manner provided in this subchapter.

101.02(6)(f) (f) Such petition for hearing shall be by verified petition filed with the department, setting out specifically and in full detail the order upon which a hearing is desired and every reason why such order is unreasonable, and every issue to be considered by the department on the hearing. The petitioner shall be deemed to have finally waived all objections to any irregularities and illegalities in the order upon which a hearing is sought other than those set forth in the petition. All hearings of the department shall be open to the public.

101.02(6)(g) (g) Upon receipt of such petition, if the issues raised in such petition have theretofore been adequately considered, the department shall determine the same by confirming without hearing its previous determination, or if such hearing is necessary to determine the issues raised, the department shall order a hearing thereon and consider and determine the matter or matters in question at such times as shall be prescribed. Notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be given to the petitioner and to such other persons as the department may find directly interested in such decision.

101.02(6)(h) (h) Upon such investigation, if it shall be found that the order complained of is unjust or unreasonable the department shall substitute therefor such other order as shall be just and reasonable.

101.02(6)(i) (i) Whenever at the time of the final determination upon such hearing it shall be found that further time is reasonably necessary for compliance with the order of the department, the department shall grant such time as may be reasonably necessary for such compliance.

101.02(7)(a)(a) Nothing contained in this subchapter may be construed to deprive the common council, the board of alderpersons, the board of trustees or the village board of any village or city, or a local board of health, as defined in s. 250.01 (3), of any power or jurisdiction over or relative to any place of employment or public building, provided that, whenever the department shall, by an order, fix a standard of safety or any hygienic condition for employment or places of employment or public buildings, the order shall, upon the filing by the department of a copy of the order with the clerk of the village or city to which it may apply, be held to amend or modify any similar conflicting local order in any particular matters governed by the order of the department. Thereafter no local officer may make or enforce any order contrary to the order of the department.

101.02(7)(b) (b) Any person affected by any local order in conflict with an order of the department, may in the manner provided in s. 101.02 (6) (e) to (i), petition the department for a hearing on the ground that such local order is unreasonable and in conflict with the order of the department. The petition for such hearing shall conform to the requirements set forth for a petition in s. 101.02 (6) (e) to (i).

101.02(7)(c) (c) Upon receipt of such petition the department shall order a hearing thereon, to consider and determine the issues raised by such appeal, such hearing to be held in the village, city or municipality where the local order appealed from was made. Notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be given to the petitioner and such other persons as the department may find directly interested in such decision, including the clerk of the municipality or town from which such appeal comes. If upon such investigation it shall be found that the local order appealed from is unreasonable and in conflict with the order of the department, the department may modify its order and shall substitute for the local order appealed from such order as shall be reasonable and legal in the premises, and thereafter the said local order shall, in such particulars, be void and of no effect.

101.02(7m) (7m) Notwithstanding sub. (7) (a), no city, village or town may make or enforce any ordinance that is applied to any multifamily dwelling, as defined in s. 101.971 (2), and that does not conform to subch. VI and this section or is contrary to an order of the department under this subchapter, except that if a city, village or town has a preexisting stricter sprinkler ordinance, as defined in s. 101.975 (3) (a), that ordinance remains in effect, except that the city, village or town may take any action with regard to that ordinance that a political subdivision may take under s. 101.975 (3) (b).

101.02(8)(a)(a) No action, proceeding or suit to set aside, vacate or amend any order of the department or to enjoin the enforcement thereof, shall be brought unless the plaintiff shall have applied to the department for a hearing thereon at the time and as provided in s. 101.02 (6) (e) to (i), and in the petition therefor shall have raised every issue raised in such action.

101.02(8)(b) (b) Every order of the department shall, in every prosecution for violation thereof, be conclusively presumed to be just, reasonable and lawful, unless prior to the institution of prosecution for such violation a proceeding for judicial review of such order shall have been instituted, as provided in ch. 227.

101.02(9) (9) A substantial compliance with the requirements of this subchapter shall be sufficient to give effect to the orders of the department, and no order may be declared inoperative, illegal or void for any omission of a technical nature with respect to the requirements of this subchapter.