OSHA Compliance in New York: Federal OSHA + NY Public Employee Safety

New York has a partial state OSHA plan — the New York Public Employee Safety and Health (NY PESH) program — which covers state and local government employees. Private sector workers in New York are covered by federal OSHA Region 2 (New York City). New York also has extensive state labor laws including Labor Law §241 for construction sites, the New York Industrial Code (12 NYCRR), and New York City-specific building and safety codes that add compliance layers beyond federal OSHA.

State Enforcement Agency: NY Public Employee Safety and Health (NY PESH) — NY Department of Labor; Federal OSHA Region 2 (NYC) for private sector
NY PESH enforces OSHA standards for public employees; Federal OSHA Region 2 covers private sector; NY Department of Labor administers both

State Penalties: Federal OSHA penalties for private sector: up to $16,550 serious, $165,514 willful/repeat. NY PESH: equivalent to federal OSHA for public sector. NY Labor Law §241: unlimited civil liability for property owners and GCs.
Federal Penalties: Federal OSHA: up to $16,550 per serious violation, up to $165,514 per willful/repeat violation (2025 adjusted amounts)

How Federal + New York Law Overlap

Federal OSHA Region 2 covers all New York private sector workers. NY PESH covers state and local government workers and must be at least as effective as federal OSHA. New York Labor Law §241 imposes strict liability on property owners and general contractors for construction worker injuries, creating additional civil liability beyond OSHA penalties.

Additional New York Requirements Beyond Federal Law

NY Labor Law §241 imposes absolute liability on property owners and general contractors for construction site safety violations
New York Industrial Code (12 NYCRR) sets additional construction safety standards for NY worksites
New York City Local Law 196 (2017) requires expanded safety training (Site Safety Training cards) for NYC construction workers
NY HERO Act (2021) requires NY employers to adopt airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans
New York State Right to Know Law (NY Labor Law §875) for hazardous workplace chemicals
New York City DOB (Department of Buildings) enforces safety requirements for NYC construction sites, with penalties independent of OSHA

Key Compliance Requirements for New York

Private sector: comply with federal OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910/1926 standards enforced by Region 2
NYC construction: comply with Local Law 196 — all workers at large construction sites must have Site Safety Training (SST) cards
New York employers: adopt an airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan under the NY HERO Act
Construction employers: understand NY Labor Law §241 absolute liability — it creates independent civil exposure for safety violations
Comply with New York Industrial Code (12 NYCRR) for construction in addition to federal OSHA
Provide HazCom training compliant with federal OSHA and NY Right to Know Law

Common Violations in New York

NYC construction workers without required Site Safety Training (SST) cards per Local Law 196
Fall protection failures at New York construction sites — leading cause of fatalities
NY HERO Act non-compliance — failure to maintain updated airborne disease prevention plan
Inadequate scaffolding safety at NYC high-rise construction projects
Failure to understand NY Labor Law §241 absolute liability exposure for general contractors

Recent OSHA Enforcement in New York

2023 — New York City construction contractors (multiple)

NYC Local Law 196 Site Safety Training non-compliance; workers on large NYC construction sites without required SST cards

Penalty: NYC DOB stop-work orders and fines; OSHA citations for underlying fall protection violations

Source: Federal OSHA Region 2 / NYC DOB

2022 — New York warehousing employers (multiple)

Ergonomic hazards and quota systems at Amazon and other warehousing facilities; NY AG investigation into working conditions

Penalty: OSHA citations; NY AG enforcement actions under NY Labor Law; ALJ hearings pending

Source: Federal OSHA Region 2 / NY AG

2021 — New York public employers (NY PESH)

NY HERO Act non-compliance; failure to adopt airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans following COVID-19 regulatory adoption

Penalty: NY PESH citations; civil penalties for NY public employers

Source: NY PESH

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does federal OSHA or New York PESH apply to my business?

If you're a private sector employer, federal OSHA Region 2 applies. If you employ state or local government workers (e.g., city schools, municipal agencies), NY PESH applies. Both are administered through the New York Department of Labor and use equivalent standards, but they are separate enforcement programs.

What is NY Labor Law §241 and why does it matter?

NY Labor Law §241 imposes absolute liability on property owners and general contractors for construction site safety violations — including OSHA violations. Unlike OSHA fines, §241 creates direct civil liability without requiring proof of negligence. This means a construction worker injured due to an OSHA violation can sue the property owner and GC even if they were not directly at fault.

What is NYC Local Law 196?

NYC Local Law 196 (2017) requires workers at major construction sites in New York City to hold a Site Safety Training (SST) card, requiring 40 hours of construction safety training for site safety managers and 10 hours for others. Workers without SST cards can receive NYC DOB violations and the site may receive stop-work orders.

What is the NY HERO Act?

The New York Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act (2021) requires all New York employers to adopt an airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan. Employers must use or adapt the NY DOL-issued template plan and involve employees in the process. Active plans are triggered when the NY Commissioner of Health designates an active disease outbreak.

Who enforces OSHA in New York?

Federal OSHA Region 2 (NYC) enforces federal OSHA for all private sector employers in New York. NY PESH enforces equivalent standards for public employees. NYC DOB enforces Local Law 196 and building code safety requirements for NYC construction sites. The NY AG can investigate workplace safety violations under NY labor law.