Hawaii OSHA State Plan (HIOSH): what a contractor needs to know

Who the HIOSH plan covers

The Hawaii State Plan applies to private-sector workplaces in the state, with the exception of:

1. Maritime employment, including shipyard employment, marine terminals, and longshoring, but not marine construction work not done on vessels or other floating facilities, which HIOSH covers;
2. Contract workers and contractor-operated facilities engaged in United States Postal Service mail operations;
3. Contractors and subcontractors at Hawaii National Park and on any other federal establishment where the land is determined to be under exclusive federal jurisdiction;
4. Private-sector employers within the secured borders of all military installations where access is controlled;
5. Any establishment that has refused entry and the state is unable to obtain a warrant to enforce the right of entry; and
6. All working conditions of aircraft cabin crewmembers onboard aircraft in operation.

The Hawaii State Plan also applies to state and local government employers. It does not apply to federal government employers, including the United States Postal Service (USPS). Federal OSHA covers the issues not covered by the Hawaii State Plan, as set forth above. In addition, Federal OSHA retains enforcement of the anti-retaliation provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act), Section 11(c), 29 U.S.C. 660(c), with respect to the private sector and the USPS. HIOSH also investigates private sector and state and local government workplace retaliation cases under a provision analogous to Section 11(c).

In addition to monitoring visits provided for under Section 18(f) of the OSH Act, 29 U.S.C. 667(f), Federal OSHA may accompany HIOSH on enforcement activities for purposes of technical assistance and training. Additionally, HIOSH may accompany Federal OSHA on enforcement activities for training purposes.

Source: OSHA, Hawaii State Plan, read October 28, 2026.

Hazard communication in Hawaii

The federal compliance dates and how each State Plan adopted HCS 2024 are compared on HazCom deadlines 2026 and in HCS 2024 deadlines by State Plan. The rule every other State Plan cites is in the State Plan HazCom rule map.

Penalties and appeals

Key facts

• OSHA first approved the Hawaii State Plan on January 4, 1974 (39 FR 1012). OSHA's page for the plan also lists its state plan certification (May 9, 1978 (43 FR 19851)) and its operational status agreement (September 22, 2012 (77 FR 58488), amended on November 27, 2013; February 14, 2014 (79 FR 8855), amended on January 29, 2015 and September 24, 2015; new agreement April 13, 2017); it lists no final approval under section 18(e).
• A summary of the Hawaii State Plan is codified at 29 CFR 1952.16.
• OSHA lists 6 exceptions to the plan's private-sector coverage; federal OSHA covers the issues the plan does not.
• Federal OSHA keeps enforcement of the anti-retaliation provision of section 11(c) of the OSH Act for the private sector, according to OSHA's page for the plan.
• OSHA's page lists 9 standards Hawaii wrote for itself, 4 of them in construction.
• Hazard communication in Hawaii runs through HAR 12-60-50(a).
• In FY2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025), HIOSH issued 248 construction citations in 91 inspections, with $422,194 in current penalties (OSHA cited-standards tool).