Kentucky Safety and Health on the Job Poster Mandatory

Safety &  
 
 
 
Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) Chapter 338 establishes a program for protecting  occupational safety and health. This  notice details the  safety and 
health protections for public and private sector  employees working in the Commonwealth of Kentucky  and must be prominently displayed in the 
workplace . 
 
Employer Responsibilities : Employers shall furnish employment and places of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing , or 
are likely to cause,  death or serious physical harm to employees ; and comply with the occupational safety and health regulations,  standards, and rules 
issued  pursuant to KRS 338.  Employers must provide  information and training on hazards in the workplace including all hazardous substances.  Required 
training  must be provided to all employees in a language and vocabulary they understand.  It is  illegal to retaliate against an employee for exercising any 
of their rights under the law, including raising a safety and health concern or reporting a work -related injury or illness.  
 
Employee Responsibilities : E mployees shall comply with the occupationa l safety and health regulations, standards, and rules issued pursuant to KRS 
338 which are applicable to their  own actions and conduct.  
 
Records:  Employees may request from their employer copies of their medical records, tests that measure hazards in the workplace, as well as the injury 
and illness log.  
 
Standards: Kentucky’s occupational safety and health standards are adopted by the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Standards Boar d. The 
Board consists of 13 members, comprised of the Secretary of Labor who serves as Chair, and 12 other members equally representing agriculture, 
industry, labor, and the safety and health profession. The Board meets annually and additionally as needed. All meetings are  open to the public.   
 
Inspections: The Division of  Occupational Safety and Health  Compliance conduct s workplace  inspections to determine the cause or prevent the 
occur rence of occupational injuries and  illnesses.  During an inspection  a representative of the employer and a representative authorized by the employees 
are  given an opportunity to accompany the Compliance Officer for the pur pose of aiding the inspection. Where there is no authorized employee 
representative, the Compliance Of ficer must consult with a reasonable number of employees regarding safety and health at the work place. 
 
Complaints : Employees or the ir authorized representative have the right to file a complaint with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health 
Complian ce requesting an inspection if they believe a  hazardous condition(s) exist s in their work place. The name of the complainant will be  kept 
confidential  upon request.    
 
Discrimination  Protections: Employees are protected against discharge and other  discriminatory actions for having filed complaints and  exercis ing any 
other right provided by  the occupational safety and health laws.  Employees who feel they have been so  discriminated against may file a complaint with 
the Kentucky Labor  Cabinet  within 120 days  of the alleged discrimination. Private sector employees also have the option of filing discrimination 
complaints with the U.S. Department of Labor with in 30 days  of the alleged discrimination . Complaint forms are available at  www.labor.ky.g ov. 	
 	
Safety and Health	 	
on the Job	 	
Occupational Safety and Health

Citations: A c itation (s)  alleging violation of a  Kentucky  occupational safety and health law (s)  or regulation( s) may be issued to an emp loyer following an 
inspection.  The c itation (s) is  provided  to  the  employer and specif ies an abatement  date by which  the alleged violation must be corrected.  T o inform 
employees, the employer  must post  each  citation at or near the location of the alleged violation for three ( 3) days or un til the violation is corrected , 
whichever is longer.  
 
Proposed Penalties: An e mployer may be assessed  a penalty up to $7,000 for each serious violation  and up to  $7,000 for each other -than -serious 
violation.  Failure to correct  a violation within the specified time period may result in penalties up to $7,000 per day.  A n employer who commits a willful 
or repeat violation (s)  may be assessed a  penalty up to  $70,000  for each violation  and not less than $5,000 for each willful violation.  
 
Contesting Procedures: An employer who  has been cited may  contest the action before the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Review 
Commission.   Equally, any employee  or employee representative of an employer  who has been cited may als o contest the action. Any party  wishing to 
contest a citation(s)  must notify the Division of Occupational Safety and Health  Compliance in writing of its intent to do so.  Notices of contest  must be 
postmarked within 15 working days of receipt by the employer of the citation (s). Notices of contest will be transmitted to the Review Commission in 
accordance with its rules.  
 
Recordkeeping : Employers  are required to maintain records of occupational  fatalities,  injuries ,  and illnesses experienced by their employees.  Records 
must be kept using OSHA 300, 300- A, 301, or equivalent forms.  Unless requested to do so by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers with  10 or 
fewer employees, or  whose establishment( s) fall within an exempted North American Industry Classification System code  are exempt  from 
recordkeeping requirements.  
 
Reporting:  Employers must report  to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance  the work-related death of an employee, including 
death resulting from a heart attack, within 8 hours  from when the incident is reported to the employer, the emplo yer’s agent, or another employee. Work-
related incidents resulting in the loss of an eye, an  amputation, or the  in-patient  hospitalization  of  an  employee, including hospitalization resulting from a 
heart attack,	
 must be report ed to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance within 72 hours from when the incident is reported to the 
employer, the employer’s agent, or another employee. M echanical power press point-of-operation  injuries must be reported to the Division of 
Occupational Safety and Health Compliance within 30 days  of the occ urrence. Employees have a right to report a safety and health concern or report a 
work -related injury or illness without being retaliated against.  	
 
Education and Training Services : The Division of Occupational Safety and Health  Education and Training assists employers who are interested in 
preventing  workplace  injuries  and illnesses  by developing  and improving their  work place  safety management programs.  All  assistance,  such as on- site 
a udits, consultation, and training , is  provided  cost-free  upon request .  
 
Kentucky  provides occupational safety and health protections under a plan approved in 1973 by the U.S. Department of Labor. Q uestions and  concern s 
regarding  Kentucky’s program  may be addressed to  the  Kentucky Labor  Cabinet,  Office of  Federal-State Coordinator .  The U.S. Department of Labor 
monitors  Kentucky’s  program . Any person who has a complaint regarding the  administration of the  Kentucky program  may contact the U.S. Department 
of Labor , OSHA, Atlanta Federal Center, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia,  30303; ( 678) 237 -04 00.
 
Kentucky Labor Cabinet  
Mayo -Underwood Building, 3rd  Floor  
500 Mero Street  
Frankfort, KY 40601  
(502) 564-3070 
www.labor.ky.gov    	No individual in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, 
religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political aff iliation or belief, 
be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected 
to di scrimination under any program or activity under the jurisdiction of the 
Labor Cabinet . 	
 	
 	 	
Paid with Federal and State Funds  
Updated  September 2021