Recent News

July 17

As she stated in her email today, Deputy Comm. Deborah Williamson will be leaving us to pursue her path in the Education & Workforce Development Cabinet. Good luck, Deborah!

July 16

The Dept for Workplace Standards has a new Commissioner after the departure of Mr. Dimeny to the Cabinet for Education and Workforce Development: Mr. Dewayne F. Depp! Welcome to the team, Comm. Depp!

June 12

The Labor Cabinet has a new Acting Secretary — David Dickerson. (Not to be confused with the former Safety CSHO!)

May 18

Some sad news for the Division of OSH Compliance — Jacque Fowler is leaving the Division and has her last day today. We bid you Godspeed, Jacque!

May 17

NIOSH and FDA Collaboration Streamlines Regulatory Oversight for N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators

In a collaborative effort to harmonize regulatory oversight of N95 filtering facepiece respirators, or N95s, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have joined forces to help reduce duplicative premarket processes for N95s used in healthcare settings.

...

Subject to the conditions and limitations of exemption outlined in the final order, certain N95s will be exempt from FDA premarket notification requirements which means that manufacturers will now be able to submit a single application to NIOSH, rather than applications to both FDA and NIOSH prior to marketing their product. Previously, all N95s intended for use in healthcare needed clearance/approval from both agencies.

May 9

REMINDER

• If you have an activity-related inspection with a VPP, CPP, or SHARP site, let your supervisor know. Check the lists hanging in the aisle between the Safety and Health areas which lists those companies which are active. If you don't find out until you get on-site, call your supervisor and let them know.
• If you're opening an inspection with any public entity, send your supervisor an email indicating it's a public entity and the reasons for opening the inspection. The administrations of the various cabinets may contact our own administration for info. It's best that they're in-the-know.
• If you're refused entry, immediately contact your supervisor.
• If you're threatened in any way, remove yourself from harm's way!!! Once you're safe, call the police if necessary, and then call your supervisor, Program Manager, or Director.

May 8 - 11

Governor's Safety & Health Conference in Bowling Green

May 3

REMINDER

After opening an inspection, enter the OSH-1 data into OSHA Express as soon as possible — within 24 hours. If the administration is contacted by the public about a CSHO opening an inspection, it's best for them to have info in the system for that inspection. It is understood, of course, that OSH-1 data cannot be entered within 24 hours if the CSHO is on-site for consecutive days to open the inspection.

Along with the OSH-1 information, make sure to obtain legal names and tax IDs — both of which can be found on W-9s for incorporated entities.

FYI: There are forms available for your rough work notes that can be an aid to jog your memory and to help you remember what paperwork and information you've requested. These include:

• Opening Conference Checklist
• Paperwork Checklist
• OpeningConference & PaperworkChecklists, in one file
• Employer Info Request
• Opening Conference & Paperwork Checklists & Employer Info Request, all in one file

April 19

REMINDER

When an employer is a sole proprietor (and also has employees, of course), if there is no FEIN, state tax ID, or W-9, some form of a uniquely-identifying number must be obtained for that employer. Request a Social Security Number. As many people are very reluctant to give that out, it may be necessary to request a Driver's License No.

April 18

REMINDER

Check your copy of the FOM to make sure Chapter 6, paragraph B.16.c.(1), has $1,000 as the penalty. Some copies showing the same revision date have $2,000 instead, which is incorrect.

FYI: The FOM's hierarchy format has a structure/formatting like this: A. 1. a. (1) (a) 1 a

March 31

Over the past month, there have been a lot of updates and changes to how we document things in OSHA Express, how we assemble and document things in our case files, how we handle programmed inspections, etc. Please keep these changes in mind so you can have your t's crossed and your i's dotted properly.

March 29

FYI from today's Director's Meeting

• There's a cleaner OSHA-1 MOD copy to use. Visit Forms & Other Files (link on the left) to get it.

March 9

Secretary Ramsey issued Administrative Order 2018-001 to delay enforcement of the new beryllium rule. This keeps Kentucky in step with federal OSHA's rule delay. The order delays GI enforcement until May 11, 2018 and delays enforcement of the PEL and STEL for the construction and shipyard industries until the same date. However, the other "ancillary provisions" of the standard for construction and shipyards "until further notice." https://labor.ky.gov/announcements/Pages/Announcement5.aspx

February 28

The Labor Cabinet has a new face for the Internet. The labor.ky.gov website has been updated.

IMPORTANT: Update the directions you give to potential complainants. Scroll down just below the banner image and you'll see a section labeled, "HOW DO I..." The third item there is a link to the OSH complaint form.

January 1, 2018

At the close of last year, Tony Long retired from the Safety Program Manager position. Thanks for your service to the Commonwealth, Tony!

December 18

Compliance has three new Safety CSHOs!

• Dennis Hall
• Emily Coleman
• Jonathan Harris

Welcome, lady and gents!

November 16

• OSH Compliance has a new director: Mr. Rodney Hall!
• OSH E&T has a familiar face back on the team: Deron Thompson!
• New Optional Codes to be used by Health Compliance. They are:
  • N-20 KY POISON CONTROL
  • N-20 DAQ (Division of Air Quality)
  • N-20 CLPP (Child Lead Poisoning Prevention)
  • N-20 FIRE MARSHALL

November 1

• As of today, GAPS no longer exists. Bells were heard ringing through the land and ticker tape parades happened in every city!
• Two new Consultants have started over in E&T: Susan Montgomery as an IH Consultant III and Alex Hackman as a Safety Consultant I

October 23

• The new Respirable Silica rules for the Construction standard are now fully enforceable.
• REMINDER: The rules for General Industry do not go into effect until June 23, 2018.

October 16

• Two new IH's starting today: Joshua Adam Hoskins (prefers Adam) and Ira Griffith!
• SAFETY NOTICE: "Genie has determined that the Operator's Protective Alarm (OPA) installed on any of the models listed on page 6 of the attached document is equipped with a mounting bracket that may become loose. This may cause the OPA assembly to fall off the machine resulting in a collision hazard." — Doug Kalinowski, OSHA SN 170004 (North America)

August 1

New Safety CSHO starts today: Remington Foley!

July 31

Safety CSHO Roseanna Hurst's last day. Happy Re-Retirement!!!

July 24

Director Foster's last day in the office. He's taking the rest of his two weeks off with leave.

July 21

Jacque sent out the latest edition of the OSHA Express Newsletter.

July 17

• Director Foster announced that he is leaving us to pursue a position better for him and his family.
• Two new IH's have joined KYOSH Compliance: Zachary Hoover and Todd Traylor.

July 7

OSHA Express - BUILD 166 Released

June 26, 2017

Through Kentucky's legislative process, the new silica standard has now also been postponed until the federal standard goes into effect. That is currently scheduled to go into effect in September.

June 15, 2017

OTI class pre-registration for Fed FY2018. Contact your training guru for details.

May 18, 2017

OTI course cancellations

• Inspection Techniques and Legal Aspects Course 1410 – June 13-23, 2017
• Advanced Legal Aspects Course 1412 – June 13-16, 2017
• Ergonomic Course 2250 – June 20-23, 2017
• Cranes in General Industry Course 2080 – June 27-29, 2017
• PSM Hazard Analysis Course 3400 – July 11-21, 2017
• Oil and Gas Course 3000 – August 8-11, 2017

May 17, 2017

• Vacancy Posted (Click on "Search openings" here.)
  • OSH Compliance Officer I
  • Posting Date Range: 5/18 - 5/27
• New Intranet web site: http://lab127web2/intra. This is only accessible from the work network.
• KYOSH will be enforcing the new silica standards (OSHA Publication 3681) starting on June 23rd despite an internal OSHA policy memo extending the federal deadline until September. Kentucky statute does not allow the suspension, delay, or modification of regulations through policy or other administrative action once it has been adopted.

April 27, 2017

Adopted and Declined CPLs for KYOSH as of 2/3/17:

• CPL_Log_-_02_03_17.pdf

March 30, 2017

Data points being monitored by Director:

• # of fatalities, imminent dangers, other than serious violations, serious violations, FTA, Willful, REC (Related to complaint/referral etc)
• Average lapse times
• Average citations per case