Sec. 31-372. Adoption of federal and state standards. Variances.
Sec. 31-372. Adoption of federal and state standards. Variances. (a) The commissioner shall provide for the adoption of all occupational health and safety standards,
amendments or changes adopted or recognized by the United States Secretary of Labor
under the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Where no federal
standards are applicable, the commissioner shall provide for the development of such
state standards as may be necessary in special circumstances.
(b) No standards shall be adopted for products distributed or used in interstate commerce which are different from federal standards for such products unless such standards
are required by compelling local conditions and do not unduly burden interstate commerce.
(c) Subject to the time period limitations of subsection (f) of section 4-168, in the
event of emergency or unusual situations the commissioner shall provide for an emergency temporary standard to take immediate effect upon publication in the Connecticut
Law Journal if he deems (1) that employees are exposed to grave danger from exposure
to substances or agents determined to be toxic or physically harmful or from new hazards;
and (2) that such emergency standard is necessary to protect employees from such danger. Such emergency standard shall be in effect not longer than one hundred twenty
days or, if renewed in compliance with subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, not
longer than sixty additional days. On or before the expiration date of such emergency
standard or renewal thereof, the commissioner shall develop a permanent standard to
replace such emergency standard.
(d) Any standard promulgated shall prescribe the use of labels or other appropriate
forms of warning as are necessary to insure that 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. Such
standard shall also prescribe suitable protective equipment and control procedures to
be used in connection with such hazards and shall provide for measuring employee
exposure in such manner as may be necessary for the protection of employees. In addition, where appropriate, such standard shall prescribe the type and frequency, medical
examinations or other tests which shall be made available, by the employer or at his
cost, to employees exposed to such hazards in order to determine any adverse effect
from such exposure.
(e) Any employer may apply to the commissioner for a temporary order granting
a variance from a standard or any provision thereof promulgated under this section.
Such temporary order shall be granted only if the employer files an application which
meets the requirements of subsection (f) of this section and establishes that the employer
(1) is unable to comply with a standard by its effective date because of unavailability
of professional or technical personnel or of materials and equipment needed to come
into compliance with the standard or because necessary construction or alteration of
facilities cannot be completed by the effective date, (2) is taking all available steps to
safeguard employees against the hazards covered by the standard, and (3) has an effective program for coming into compliance with the standard as quickly as practicable.
Any temporary order issued under this subsection shall prescribe the practices, means,
methods, operations, and processes which the employer must adopt and use while the
order is in effect and state in detail the employer's program for coming into compliance
with the standard. Such a temporary order may be granted only after notice to employees
and an opportunity for a hearing, provided the commissioner may issue one interim
order to be effective until a decision is made on the basis of the hearing. No temporary
order may be in effect for longer than the period needed by the employer to achieve
compliance with the standard or one year, whichever is shorter, except that such an
order may be renewed not more than twice as long as the requirements of this subsection
are met and if an application for renewal is filed at least ninety days prior to the expiration
date of the order. No interim renewal of an order may remain in effect longer than one
hundred eighty days.
(f) An application for a temporary variance order shall contain: (1) A specification
of the standard or portion thereof from which the employer seeks a variance; (2) a
representation by the employer, supported by representations from qualified persons
who have firsthand knowledge of the facts represented, that he is unable to comply with
the standard or portion thereof and a detailed statement of the reasons therefor; (3) a
statement of the steps he has taken and will take, with specific dates, to protect employees
against the hazard covered by the standard; (4) a statement of when he expects to be
able to comply with the standard and what steps he has taken and what steps he will
take, with dates specified, to come into compliance with the standard; and (5) a certification that he has informed his employees of the application by giving a copy thereof to
their authorized representative, posting a statement giving a summary of the application
and specifying where a copy may be examined at the place or places where notices to
employees are normally posted, and by other appropriate means. A description of how
employees have been informed shall be contained in the certification. The information
to employees shall also inform them of their right to petition the commissioner for a
hearing. The commissioner is also authorized to grant a variance from any standard or
portion thereof whenever he determines that such variance is necessary to permit an
employer to participate in an experiment approved by him designed to demonstrate or
validate new and improved techniques to safeguard the health or safety of workers.
(g) Any affected employer may apply to the commissioner for a rule or order for a
variance from a standard promulgated under this section. Affected employees shall be
given notice of each such application and an opportunity to participate in a hearing.
The commissioner shall issue such rule or order if he determines on the record, after
opportunity for an inspection where appropriate and a hearing, that the proponent of
the variance has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that the conditions,
practices, means, methods, operations, or processes used or proposed to be used by an
employer will provide employment and places of employment which are as safe and
healthful as those which would prevail if he complied with the standard. The rule or order
so issued shall prescribe the conditions the employer must maintain, and the practices,
means, methods, operations, and processes which he must adopt and utilize to the extent
they differ from the standard in question. Such a rule or order may be modified or revoked
upon application by an employer or employees, or by the commissioner on his own
motion, in the manner prescribed for its issuance under this subsection at any time after
six months from its issuance.
(h) Any person who may be adversely affected by a standard or regulation issued
under this section may challenge the validity or applicability of such standard or regulation by bringing an action for a declaratory judgment in accordance with section 4-175.
(P.A. 73-379, S. 6, 21; P.A. 74-137, S. 5-7, 21; P.A. 80-46, S. 4; P.A. 88-317, S. 92, 107; P.A. 06-196, S. 264.)
History: P.A. 74-137 added references to owners in Subsecs. (e) to (g) and specified that Subsec. (f))(5) applies "in the
case of an employer"; P.A. 80-46 deleted references to owners and words "in the case of an employer" in said Subdiv. (5);
P.A. 88-317 amended Subsec. (c) by substituting "subsection (f) of section 4-168" for "subsection (b) of section 4-168",
effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 06-196 made
technical changes in Subsec. (e), effective June 7, 2006.
Subsec. (a):
Cited. 184 C. 173.