Effective: September 10, 2007
Latest Legislation: House Bill 100 - 127th General Assembly
(A) The administrator of workers' compensation, with the advice and consent of the bureau of workers' compensation board of directors, shall adopt rules that establish employment risk reduction standards. Except as provided in division (B) of this section, in adopting these rules, the administrator shall do both of the following:
(1) By no later than July 1, 1994, adopt as a rule and an Ohio employment risk reduction standard every federal occupational safety and health standard then adopted by the United States secretary of labor pursuant to the "Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970," 84 Stat. 1590, 29 U.S.C.A. 651, as amended;
(2) By no later than one hundred twenty days after the United States secretary of labor adopts, modifies, or revokes any federal occupational safety and health standard, by rule do one of the following:
(a) Adopt the federal occupational safety and health standard as a rule and an Ohio employment risk reduction standard;
(b) Amend the existing rule and Ohio employment risk reduction standard to conform to the modification of the federal occupational safety and health standard;
(c) Rescind the existing rule and Ohio employment risk reduction standard that corresponds to the federal occupational safety and health standard the United States secretary of labor revoked.
(B) The administrator, with the advice and consent of the bureau of workers' compensation board of directors, may decline to adopt any federal occupational safety and health standard as a rule and an Ohio employment risk reduction standard or to modify or rescind any existing rule and Ohio employment risk reduction standard to conform to any federal occupational safety and health standard modified or revoked by the United States secretary of labor or may adopt as a rule and an Ohio employment risk reduction standard any occupational safety and health standard that is not covered under the federal law or that differs from one adopted or modified by the United States secretary of labor, if the administrator determines that existing rules and Ohio employment risk reduction standards provide protection at least as effective as that which would be provided by the existing, new, or modified federal occupational safety and health standard or if the administrator determines that local conditions warrant a different standard from that of the existing federal occupational safety and health standard or from standards the United States secretary of labor adopts, modifies, or revokes.
(C) In adopting, modifying, or rescinding any rule or Ohio employment risk reduction standard dealing with toxic materials or harmful physical agents, the administrator, with the advice and consent of the bureau of workers' compensation board of directors, shall do all of the following:
(1) Set the employment risk reduction standard to most adequately assure, to the extent technologically feasible and on the basis of the best available evidence, that no public employee will suffer material impairment of health or functional capacity as a result of the hazards dealt with by the rule or Ohio employment risk reduction standard for the period of the public employee's working life;
(2) Base the development of these rules and Ohio employment risk reduction standards on research, demonstrations, experiments, and other information as is appropriate and upon the technological feasibility of the rule and standard, using the latest available scientific data in the field and the experience gained in the workplace under this chapter and other health and safety laws, to establish the highest degree of safety and health for the public employee;
(3) Whenever practicable, express the rule and Ohio employment risk reduction standard in terms of objective criteria and of the performance desired;
(4) Prescribe the use of labels or other appropriate forms of warning as are necessary to ensure that public employees are apprised of all hazards to which they are exposed, relevant symptoms and appropriate emergency treatment, and proper conditions and precautions of safe use or exposure where appropriate;
(5) Prescribe suitable protective equipment and control procedures to be used in connection with the hazards;
(6) Provide for measuring or monitoring public employee exposure in a manner necessary for the protection of the public employees;
(7) Where appropriate, prescribe the type and frequency of medical examinations or other tests the public employer shall make available, at the cost of the public employer, to the public employees exposed to the hazards in order to determine any adverse effect from the exposure.
(D) In determining the priority for adopting rules and Ohio employment risk reduction standards under this section, the administrator shall give due regard to the urgency of need and recommendations of the department of health regarding that need for mandatory employment risk reduction standards for particular trades, crafts, occupations, services, and workplaces.
(E)(1) Except for rules adopted under division (A) of this section, the administrator, with the advice and consent of the bureau of workers' compensation board of directors, shall adopt all rules under this section in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, provided that notwithstanding that chapter, the administrator may delay the effective date of any rule or Ohio employment risk reduction standard for the period the administrator determines necessary to ensure that affected public employers and public employees will be informed of the adoption, modification, or rescission of the rule and Ohio employment risk reduction standard and have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the specific requirements of the rule and standard. In no case, however, shall the administrator delay the effective date of a rule adopted pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code in excess of ninety days beyond the otherwise required effective date.
(2) In regard to the rules for which the administrator does not have to comply with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, the administrator shall file two certified copies of the rules and Ohio employment risk reduction standards adopted with the secretary of state and the director of the legislative service commission.