Police officers can sue their employers for injuries or deaths caused by occupational hazards unrelated to the inherent dangers they face as officers, the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

The 4-2 court said the Public Employee Safety and Health Act, which guarantees public employees in general a workplace free of “recognized hazards” that could endanger their “lives, safety or health,” is a valid predicate to an officer’s suit under state General Municipal Law §205-e.