§ 651. — Congressional statement of findings and declaration of purpose and policy.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 29USC651]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER 15--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
Sec. 651. Congressional statement of findings and declaration of
purpose and policy
(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 this chapter;
(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;
(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 chapter, 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 chapter 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.
(Pub. L. 91-596, Sec. 2, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1590.)
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), (11), and (12), was in
the original ``this Act'', meaning Pub. L. 91-596, Dec. 29, 1970, 84
Stat. 1590, as amended. For complete classification of this Act to the
Code, see Short Title note set out under this section and Tables.
Effective Date
Section 34 of Pub. L. 91-596 provided that: ``This Act [enacting
this chapter and section 3142-1 of Title 42, The Public Health and
Welfare, amending section 553 of this title, sections 5108, 5314, 5315,
and 7902 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, sections 633
and 636 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, section 1114 of Title 18,
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and section 1421 of former Title 49,
Transportation, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this
section and section 1114 of Title 18] shall take effect one hundred and
twenty days after the date of its enactment [Dec. 29, 1970].''
Short Title of 1998 Amendment
Pub. L. 105-197, Sec. 1, July 16, 1998, 112 Stat. 638, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 670 of this title] may be cited as
the `Occupational Safety and Health Administration Compliance Assistance
Authorization Act of 1998'.''
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 91-596 provided: ``That this Act [enacting this
chapter and section 3142-1 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare,
amending section 553 of this title, sections 5108, 5314, 5315, and 7902
of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, sections 633 and 636
of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, section 1114 of Title 18, Crimes and
Criminal Procedure, and section 1421 of former Title 49, Transportation,
and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section
1114 of Title 18] may be cited as the `Occupational Safety and Health
Act of 1970'.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 671 of this title.
