§668 — Title 29 Labor | U.S. Code

Summary

Heads of each Federal agency, except the United States Postal Service, must set up and run a full workplace safety and health program that follows the standards in section 655. After talking with employee representatives, they must make workplaces safe, provide and require needed safety gear and personal protective equipment, keep records of work-related accidents and illnesses, check with the Secretary about the right form and content of those records, and send the Secretary an annual report about accidents and their safety program that includes any report under section 7902(e)(2) of title 5. The Secretary must make a summary of those annual reports, give evaluations and suggestions, and send that to the President. The Secretary can see the agencies’ accident records and annual reports unless an Executive order keeps them secret for national defense or foreign policy; in that case the Secretary still gets any information that will not harm defense or foreign policy.

Title 29, §668

Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It shall be the responsibility of the head of each Federal agency (not including the United States Postal Service) to establish and maintain an effective and comprehensive occupational safety and health program which is consistent with the standards promulgated under section 655 of this title. The head of each agency shall (after consultation with representatives of the employees thereof)—

(1)provide safe and healthful places and conditions of employment, consistent with the standards set under section 655 of this title;

(2)acquire, maintain, and require the use of safety equipment, personal protective equipment, and devices reasonably necessary to protect employees;

(3)keep adequate records of all occupational accidents and illnesses for proper evaluation and necessary corrective action;

(4)consult with the Secretary with regard to the adequacy as to form and content of records kept pursuant to subsection (a)(3) of this section; and

(5)make an annual report to the Secretary with respect to occupational accidents and injuries and the agency’s program under this section. Such report shall include any report submitted under section 7902(e)(2) of title 5.

(b)The Secretary shall report to the President a summary or digest of reports submitted to him under subsection (a)(5) of this section, together with his evaluations of and recommendations derived from such reports.

(c)

(d)The Secretary shall have access to records and reports kept and filed by Federal agencies pursuant to subsections (a)(3) and (5) of this section unless those records and reports are specifically required by Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of the national defense or foreign policy, in which case the Secretary shall have access to such information as will not jeopardize national defense or foreign policy.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Subsec. (c) of this section amended section 7902 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Amendments

1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–241 inserted “(not including the United States Postal Service)” after “each Federal agency”. 1982—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–375 struck out direction that the President transmit annually to the Senate and House a report of the activities of Federal agencies under this section.

Executive Documents

Occupational Safety and Health Programs for Federal EmployeesOccupational safety and health programs for Federal employees and continuation of Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health, see Ex. Ord. No. 12196, Feb. 26, 1980, 45 F.R. 12769, set out as a note under section 7902 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

§668 Programs of Federal agencies