OSH Act Sec 2, 29 USC 651

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Congressional Findings and Purpose | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSH Act of 1970
/ 
Congressional Findings and Purpose
SEC. 2. Congressional Findings and Purpose
(a) The Congress finds that personal injuries and illnesses arising out of work situations
impose a substantial burden upon, and are a hindrance to, interstate commerce in terms
of lost production, wage loss, medical expenses, and disability compensation payments.

29 USC 651

(b) The Congress declares it to be its purpose and policy, through the exercise of its powers to regulate commerce
among the several States and with foreign nations and to provide for the general welfare, to assure so far as
possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our
human resources --

(1) by encouraging employers and employees in their efforts to reduce the number of occupational safety
and health hazards at their places of employment, and to stimulate employers and employees to institute
new and to perfect existing programs for providing safe and healthful working conditions;
(2) by providing that employers and employees have separate but dependent responsibilities and rights with
respect to achieving safe and healthful working conditions;
(3) by authorizing the Secretary of Labor to set mandatory occupational safety and health standards
applicable to businesses affecting interstate commerce, and by creating an Occupational Safety and Health
Review Commission for carrying out adjudicatory functions under the Act;
(4) by building upon advances already made through employer and employee initiative for providing safe
and healthful working conditions;
(5) by providing for research in the field of occupational safety and health, including the psychological
factors involved, and by developing innovative methods, techniques, and approaches for dealing with
occupational safety and health problems;
(6) by exploring ways to discover latent diseases, establishing causal connections between diseases and
work in environmental conditions, and conducting other research relating to health problems, in recognition
of the fact that occupational health standards present problems often different from those involved in
occupational safety;
(7) by providing medical criteria which will assure insofar as practicable that no employee will suffer
diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his work experience;
(8) by providing for training programs to increase the number and competence of personnel engaged in the
field of occupational safety and health; affecting the OSH Act since its passage in 1970 through January 1,
2004.
(9) by providing for the development and promulgation of occupational safety and health standards;
(10) by providing an effective enforcement program which shall include a prohibition against giving advance
notice of any inspection and sanctions for any individual violating this prohibition;
(11) by encouraging the States to assume the fullest responsibility for the administration and enforcement of
their occupational safety and health laws by providing grants to the States to assist in identifying their needs
and responsibilities in the area of occupational safety and health, to develop plans in accordance with the

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Congressional Findings and Purpose | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

provisions of this Act, to improve the administration and enforcement of State occupational safety and
health laws, and to conduct experimental and demonstration projects in connection therewith;
(12)  by providing for appropriate reporting procedures with respect to occupational safety and health which
procedures will help achieve the objectives of this Act and accurately describe the nature of the
occupational safety and health problem;
(13)  by encouraging joint labor-management efforts to reduce injuries and disease arising out of
employment.

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
200 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20210
 800-321-6742 (OSHA)
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www.OSHA.gov
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