Overview

• Initial Approval: October 16, 1973 (38 FR 28658)
• State Plan Certification: March 4, 1977 (42 FR 12428)
• Operational Status Agreement : May 12, 1975 (40 FR 20627), amended on June 9, 2000 (65 FR 36627)

The Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA) is a part of the Vermont Department of Labor. The main office is located in Montpelier.

Coverage

The Vermont State Plan applies to private sector workplaces in the state with the exception of:

1. Offshore maritime employment, including offshore shipyard employment and longshoring;
2. Contract workers and contractor-operated facilities engaged in United States Postal Service (USPS) mail operations; and
3. All working conditions of aircraft cabin crewmembers onboard aircraft in operation.

The State Plan covers state and local government workers. VOSHA does not cover federal government employers, including USPS. Federal OSHA covers the issues not covered by the Vermont State Plan. In addition, federal OSHA retains enforcement of the anti-retaliation provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Section 11(c), 29 USC 660(c), with respect to the private sector. The State Plan also investigates private and state and local government workplace retaliation cases under a provision analogous to Section 11(c).

A brief summary of the Vermont State Plan is included in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 29 CFR 1952.14. Federal OSHA retains the authority to promulgate, modify, or revoke occupational safety and health standards under Section 6 of the OSH Act. In the event that federal OSHA resumes enforcement, those federal standards will be enforced. Federal OSHA also retains the authority to monitor the State Plan under Section 18(f) of the OSH Act.

State Plan Standards and Regulations

VOSHA has adopted OSHA standards by reference; in addition, there are two unique standards currently in effect:

• Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs)
• Lineworker Safety

Enforcement Programs

VOSHA's enforcement section is responsible for the enforcement of occupational safety and health standards. Compliance officers inspect workplaces for hazardous conditions and issue citations where violations of occupational safety and health standards are found. Inspections may be the result of regular scheduling, imminent danger reports, fatalities, worker complaints, or referrals. Information on unique enforcement initiatives and local emphasis programs can be found on the Vermont State Plan website.

Voluntary and Cooperative Programs

VOSHA offers voluntary and cooperative programs that focus on reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. VOSHA also offers on-site consultation services which help employers – both state and local government and private sector – comply with occupational safety and health standards and identify and correct potential safety and health hazards. For more information on these programs, please visit the Vermont State Plan website.

Informal Conferences and Appeals

VOSHA management personnel conduct informal conferences in an effort to resolve cases. Citations may be contested before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Board. The Review Board's hearing judges conduct hearings on contested VOSHA citations. Orders of the hearing judges may be reviewed by the Review Board. Orders of the Review Board and final orders of hearing judges where the Review Board has declined a request for review may be appealed to the Vermont Superior Court. For more information on these proceedings, please visit the Vermont State Plan website.