29 U.s.c. 651

SEC. 2. Congressional Findings and Purpose

29 U.S.C. 651

(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.

(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 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.