True or False: Some states have OSHA-approved plans that cover only state and local government workers.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Both

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that OSHA-approved state plans don’t all have the same coverage. While many state plans cover both private sector employers and public-sector workers, some states operate a public-sector-only plan. In those states, the state plan protects state and local government employees, but private-sector workplaces in the same state fall under federal OSHA rather than the state plan. These public-sector-only plans exist to tailor enforcement and protections to government workplaces, while still ensuring that the public employees have a state-level program that meets OSHA’s standards. So the statement is true: there are OSHA-approved plans that cover only state and local government workers.