The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published a proposed rulemaking to approve a new occupational safety and health plan for Maine state and local employees. Under the OSH Act, state and local government employees are specifically excluded from federal coverage. These employees receive formal OSHA coverage only through an OSHA-approved State Plan.

“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.”

The Maine State Plan for state and local government employees will be the newest OSHA-approved State Plan. If approved, the plan will cover approximately 81,000 public workers. Private sector and federally employed workers will remain under the jurisdiction of federal OSHA.

This NPRM will have a 30-day comment period. Comments and requests for a hearing must be submitted by June 19, 2015. Comments may be submitted electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal, by mail or facsimile. See the Federal Register notice for submission details.

To be eligible for initial (developmental) approval as a state and local government employee State Plan, a state must be able to operate an occupational safety and health program that is, or will be, at least as effective as the federal program.