The Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Program (KY OSH) is responsible for ensuring workplace safety and health within the state. KY OSH operates under an agreement with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), allowing it to have its own set of regulations and standards specific to Kentucky.
KY OSH adopts many of the federal OSHA standards but may also have its own unique standards that are specific to Kentucky. These state-specific standards must be at least as effective as the federal standards. Employers in Kentucky are required to comply with these standards to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees.
KY OSH provides various services to employers and employees, including inspections, consultations, training programs, and outreach activities. Employers can request consultations from KY OSH to identify potential hazards in their workplaces and receive guidance on compliance with safety regulations.
With the exception of the following, the Kentucky State Plan extends its applicability to all private sector workplaces within the state:
1. Maritime employment, including shipyard employment, marine terminals, and longshoring;
2. Employment at Tennessee Valley Authority facilities, military bases, and other properties ceded to the federal government;
3. Contract workers and contractor-operated facilities engaged in United States Postal Service (USPS) mail operations;
4. The enforcement of the field sanitation standard (29 CFR 1928.110) and the enforcement of the temporary labor camps standard (29 CFR 1910.142) with respect to any agricultural establishment where workers are engaged in "agricultural employment"
5. The Kentucky State Plan does not encompass all working conditions of aircraft cabin crew members while they are onboard aircraft in operation.
6. Any hazard, industry, geographical area, operation, or facility over which the state is unable to effectively exercise jurisdiction, provided that the reasons are not related to the required performance or structure of the State Plan.
The Kentucky OSH Standards Board, chaired by the Secretary of the Labor Cabinet, is a 13-member body with the authority to adopt, modify, or repeal OSH standards in Kentucky. The governor appoints the remaining 12 members, ensuring equal representation from agriculture, labor, management, and the safety and health profession. Kentucky OSH standards encompass a combination of state-specific standards unique to Kentucky, OSHA standards with state-specific provisions, and OSHA standards incorporated without any changes.
