(1) Section 50-71-114, MCA, of the Montana Occupational Safety and Health Act provides that the Department of Labor and Industry may adopt, amend, repeal, and enforce rules for the prevention of accidents to be known as "safety codes" in every employment and place of employment, including the repair and maintenance of such places of employment to render them safe. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 does not include safety standards coverage for employees or political subdivisions of this state. It is the intent of this rule that public sector employees and political subdivisions of this state shall be protected to the greatest extent possible by the same safety standards for employments covered by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The department is therefore adopting by reference certain occupational safety and health standards, adopted by the United States Secretary of Labor under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The department has determined, with the assent of the Secretary of State, that publication of the rules would be unduly cumbersome and expensive. Copies of the rules adopted by reference are available and may be obtained at cost from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, P.O. Box 1728, Helena, Montana 59624-1728, or the Superintendent of Documents, United States Government Printing Office, 941 North Capitol Street, Washington, D.C. 20401.

(2) As used in the rules adopted by reference in (3) and (4)(a), unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

(a) "Act" means the Montana Occupational Safety and Health Act (50-71-111 through 50-71-128, MCA).

(b) "Assistant secretary of labor" or "secretary" means the commissioner of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

(c) "Employee" or "public sector employee" means every person in this state, including a contractor other than an independent contractor, who is in the service of a public sector employer, as defined below, under any appointment or contract of hire, expressed or implied, oral, or written.

(d) "Employer" or "public sector employer" means this state and each county, city and county, city school district, irrigation district, all other districts established by law, and all public corporations and quasi public corporations and public agencies therein who have any person in service under any appointment or contract of hire, expressed or implied, oral or written.

(e) "Establishment" means a single physical location where business is conducted or where services or industrial operations are performed. For activities where employees do not work at a single physical location, such as construction, transportation, communications, electric, gas and sanitary services, and similar operations, an establishment exists at each main or branch office, terminal, station, etc., that either supervise such activities or are the base from which personnel carry out these activities.

(f) "Injury or illness" means an abnormal condition or disorder.

(i) An injury includes cases such as, but not limited to, a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation.

(ii) An illness includes both acute and chronic illnesses, such as, but not limited to, a skin disease, respiratory disorder, or poisoning.

(3) The Department of Labor and Industry adopts a safety code for every place of employment conducted by a public sector employer. This safety code adopts by reference the following occupational safety and health standards found in the Code of Federal Regulations, as of July 1, 2018:

(a) Title 29, Part 1910; and

(b) Title 29, Part 1926.

(4) The Department of Labor and Industry adopts reporting requirements related to occupational safety and health for every place of employment conducted by a public sector employer.

(a) The reporting requirements adopted by reference are the following occupational safety and health reporting requirements found in the Code of Federal Regulations, as of July 1, 2018:

(i) 29 CFR 1904.4 through 1904.11;

(ii) 29 CFR 1904.29 through 1904.33;

(iii) 29 CFR 1904.35 and 1904.36; and

(iv) 29 CFR 1904.39 through 1904.42.

(b) For the purposes of reporting fatalities, hospitalizations, amputations, and loss of an eye pursuant to 29 CFR 1904.39, the employer is to contact the Montana Department of Labor and Industry safety bureau by:

(i) electronic submission to the reporting application at the safety bureau's public web site at http://erd.dli.mt.gov/safety-health; or

(ii) telephone at 1-844-669-5461 (toll free).

(5) All sections adopted by reference are binding on every public sector employer even though the sections are not separately printed in a separate state pamphlet and even though they are omitted from publication in the Montana Administrative Register and the Administrative Rules of Montana. The safety standards and reporting requirements adopted by this rule and printed in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, as of July 1, 2018, are considered under this rule as the printed form of the safety code, and shall be used by the department and all public sector employers, employees, and other persons when referring to the provisions of the safety code. All the provisions, remedies, and penalties found in the Montana Occupational Safety and Health Act apply to the administration of the provisions of the safety code and reporting requirements adopted by this rule.

(6) For convenience, the federal number of a particular section found in the Code of Federal Regulations should be used when referring to a section in the safety code adopted in (3). The federal number is to be preceded by the term (5). Thus, when section 1910.27 of the Code of Federal Regulations pertaining to fixed ladders is to be referred to or cited, the correct cite would be "subsection (5) 1910.27 of section 24.30.102 ARM" or "ARM 24.30.102(5) 1910.27".