The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has

proposed an approval for a new occupational safety and health plan for Maine state and local

employees. Per the OSH Act, employees of state and local governments are not granted federal

coverage. They are, instead, only covered through an OSHA-approved State Plan. If approved,

this plan will cover approximately 81,000 public workers; coverage to private sector and

federally employed workers will remain unchanged and under the jurisdiction of federal OSHA.

“The Maine Department of Labor is to be commended for taking this step forward to provide

protection for these workers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and

Health Dr. David Michaels. “This should serve as a model for other states that are interested in

maintaining the safety and health of their public workforces.”

If you do business in the state of Maine, chances are this new plan will not impact you. If,

however, you are a state or local government, contract with state or local governments, or have

any ties with state or local governments, this new plan might impact you. So if you fall into that

second category, it is important you understand what these changes are, how they impact state

employees, and ultimately how they can impact your business. And if you have not done so or

are unable to do so, it is probably in your best interest to work with a qualified third party

occupational safety and health auditing firm which can help you to understand how these

changes impact you.

If you have any questions about this new plan and how it impacts your business, please contact

us. If you have anything to add about the proposed occupational safety and health plan for Maine

state and local employees, please leave a message.