Massachusetts OSHA Plan for Public Sector Gets Initial Federal Nod

By | June 29, 2022

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has given preliminary approval to a new occupational safety and health plan for Massachusetts state and local employers and their employees.

If given final approved after a comment period, the Massachusetts OSHA plan would cover approximately 6,500 public sector employers and nearly 434,000 public employees throughout the state.

Private sector and federally employed workers in Massachusetts would remain under federal OSHA jurisdiction.

There is now a 30-day comment period before final approval may be granted. Comments and requests for a hearing must be submitted by Aug. 1, 2022 at the Federal Register.

To be eligible for approval, a state must show it is able to operate an OSHA program that is, or will be, at least as effective as the federal program.

Under the federal OSHA Act, state and local government employers are specifically excluded from federal coverage. However, the act provides for states to assume responsibility for occupational safety and health programs under the state’s own plan, which must be approved by OSHA. Each state plan must include coverage of state and local employees.

Topics Workers' Compensation Massachusetts

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