United States Congress - Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Public Law 91-596, Sec. 2 lyrics

84 STAT. 1590 91st Congress, S.2193 December 29, 1970, as amended through January 1, 2004. (1) An Act To a**ure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by a**isting and encouraging the States in their efforts to a**ure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health; and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a**embled, That this Act may be cited as the "Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970." Footnote (1) See Historical notes at the end of this document for changes and amendments affecting the OSH Act since its pa**age in 1970 through January 1, 2004. SEC. 2. Congressional Findings and Purpose 29 USC 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 a**ure 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 a**ure 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 pa**age 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 a**ume the fullest responsibility for the administration and enforcement of their occupational safety and health laws by providing grants to the States to a**ist 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.