---
kind: "section"
citation: "29 U.S.C. § 651"
title: "29"
title_heading: "Labor"
number: "651"
heading: "Congressional statement of findings and declaration of purpose and policy"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/29/651"
units:
  - "Chapter 15 — Occupational Safety and Health"
---

# §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](/usc/29/652.md?p=3) 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](/usc/29/652.md?p=3) among the several [States](/usc/29/652.md?p=7) 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](/usc/29/652.md?p=5) and [employees](/usc/29/652.md?p=6) in their efforts to reduce the number of occupational safety and health hazards at their places of employment, and to stimulate [employers](/usc/29/652.md?p=5) and [employees](/usc/29/652.md?p=6) to [institute](/usc/29/652.md?p=13) new and to perfect existing programs for providing safe and healthful working conditions;
  - (2) by providing that [employers](/usc/29/652.md?p=5) and [employees](/usc/29/652.md?p=6) have separate but dependent responsibilities and rights with respect to achieving safe and healthful working conditions;
  - (3) by authorizing the [Secretary](/usc/29/652.md?p=1) of Labor to set mandatory [occupational safety and health standards](/usc/29/652.md?p=8) applicable to businesses affecting interstate [commerce](/usc/29/652.md?p=3), and by creating an Occupational Safety and Health Review [Commission](/usc/29/652.md?p=2) for carrying out adjudicatory functions under this chapter;
  - (4) by building upon advances already made through [employer](/usc/29/652.md?p=5) and [employee](/usc/29/652.md?p=6) 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](/usc/29/652.md?p=6) 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](/usc/29/652.md?p=8);
  - (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](/usc/29/652.md?p=7) to assume the fullest responsibility for the administration and enforcement of their occupational safety and health laws by providing grants to the [States](/usc/29/652.md?p=7) 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](/usc/29/652.md?p=7) 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.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–596, § 2, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1590.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### 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. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under this section and Tables.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 91–596, § 34, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1620, 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, § 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

Pub. L. 91–596, § 1, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1590, 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’.”