PESH Act (Labor Law §27-a)

N.Y. Labor Law § 27-a (PESH Act)

Establishes the Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) program: a general-duty clause requiring public employers (the State, any political subdivision, public authorities, and other governmental agencies or instrumentalities) to furnish each employee employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm (subd. 3(a)). It directs the Commissioner of Labor to adopt and enforce occupational safety and health standards for public-sector workplaces — including all standards promulgated under the federal OSH Act (subd. 4(a)) plus state-specific standards where federal standards are insufficient (subd. 4(b)) — so that protection is at least as effective as federal OSHA, since state and local government (public) employees in New York are not covered by federal OSHA.