---
kind: "section"
citation: "29 C.F.R. § 1960.31"
title: "29"
number: "1960.31"
heading: "Inspections by OSHA."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/29/1960.31"
---

# §1960.31. Inspections by OSHA.

- (a) The Secretary or the Secretary's representatives are authorized to conduct, when the Secretary deems necessary, announced or unannounced inspections in the following situations:
  - (1) Where an agency has not established occupational safety and health committees or where committees no longer operate in conformance to the requirements of subpart F of this part;
  - (2) In response to a request from half the membership of record of any certified safety and health committee; and
  - (3) In response to an employee's report of an imminent danger situation, where there is a certified committee, but where the Secretary determines that neither the agency nor the committee has responded to the employee.
- (b) **The Secretary's inspectors or evaluators are authorized—** to enter without delay, and at reasonable times, any building, installation, facility, construction site, or other area, workplace, or environment where work is performed by employees of the agency; to inspect and investigate during regular working hours and at other reasonable times, and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, any such place of employment, and all pertinent conditions, structures, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment, and materials therein, and to question privately any employee, any supervisory employee, and/or any official in charge of an establishment.
- (c) The Secretary may also make scheduled inspections as an integral part of OSHA's evaluation of an agency's safety and health program in accordance with subpart J of this part.
- (d) OSHA inspections shall follow the general format set forth for agency inspections in other applicable parts of this subpart.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: Sections 19 and 24 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1609, 1614; 29 U.S.C. 668, 673), 5 U.S.C. 553, Secretary of Labor's Order No. 1-90 (55 FR 9033), and Executive Order 12196.

### Source

Source: 45 FR 69798, Oct. 21, 1980, unless otherwise noted.