Federal Agency Programs Mission

Divisions:

Federal Agency Programs Mission:

To ensure that each Federal agency is provided with the guidance necessary to implement an effective occupational safety and health program within the agency, and to inform the President on the progress being made through detailed evaluations, reports and studies of agencies' occupational safety and health programs.

Federal Agency Programs Functions:

  1. Provides leadership and guidance to the heads of Federal agencies to assist them in implementing effective occupational safety and health programs.
  2. Develops policies, regulations, program plans and procedures for Federal agency evaluation, training, consultation, standards review, inspection and council programs.
  3. Provides policy guidance to OSHA Regional Administrators on Federal consultations; targeted, complaint or other inspections; evaluations; training; and field council operations.
  4. Evaluates Federal agency occupational safety and health programs and recommends to agency heads improvements needed to make programs more effective in providing safe and healthful working conditions for Federal employees. Prepares reports of agency evaluations and agency responses for submission by the Secretary to the President.
  5. Establishes Federal agency enforcement policies and monitors the effectiveness of the enforcement activities of OSHA field offices.
  6. Establishes requirements for agency certified safety and health committees. Reviews agency submissions, recommends certification where agencies meet established criteria and monitors committee operations.
  7. Provides support to Federal agencies in the correction of hazardous working conditions and provides assistance and guidance to agencies in the use and interpretation of OSHA safety and health standards. Develops policies and procedures for consideration of agency requests for alternate and/or supplementary standards and for the resolution of standards conflicts.
  8. Establishes priorities for, and provides guidance to Federal agencies and the OSHA Training Institute in the provision of occupational safety and health training for Federal agency personnel.
  9. Develops and maintains a recordkeeping and reporting system for Federal agency programs, and publishes an annual statistical summary. Develops and maintains requirements for the Federal Integrated Management Information System based on data from a variety of sources.
  10. Analyzes statistical data to determine government wide and/or agency trends in injury or illness causes, nature, and costs, etc., and publishes periodic reports of such analyses.
  11. Serves as the executive secretariat to the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health to assist and guide it in fulfilling its role of advising the Secretary of Labor on governmental safety and health matters.
  12. Sponsors and provides leadership to field Federal safety and health councils to make them effective partners with OSHA in the dissemination of information and services, including the sponsorship of training courses and other mutual assistance efforts.
  13. Prepares and submits to the President an annual formal report on the occupational safety and health program in the Federal Government, subject to Office of Management and Budget review and clearance.

Division of Federal Program Direction and Evaluation

Mission:

To promote improvement in Federal agency occupational safety and health programs through comprehensive program evaluations, interagency coordination, and Government-wide incentive programs.

Functions:

  1. Develops policies, procedures, and guidelines for the conduct of Federal agency occupational safety and health program evaluations.
  2. Plans, conducts, coordinates, and reports on comprehensive evaluations of Federal agency occupational safety and health programs. Reports findings and recommendations to the President and the evaluated agencies.
  3. Performs special studies of Federal agency occupational safety and health programs.
  4. Develops and maintains policies, procedures, and requirements for the establishment of agency certified safety and health committees.
  5. Develops and maintains Department of Labor regulations, Part 29 CFR 1960, which the heads of agencies must follow in operating their occupational safety and health programs.
  6. Provides national direction and guidance to Federal agencies by initiating Presidential policies and directives.
  7. Coordinates multi-agency efforts to address safety and health problems common to many Federal agencies.
  8. Provides policy guidance and administrative and technical assistance to the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health and its ad hoc and standing committees.
  9. Develops policies, criteria, objectives, and plans for the field Federal safety and health council program. Encourages agency heads to participate in the field council program, and provides guidance to OSHA Regional Offices in establishing and implementing effective field safety and health council programs. Reviews applications for councils, issues and revokes charters, monitors council activities, and reviews annual council activities and annual council reports.
  10. Plans, organizes, and administers the annual President's Safety and Health Award Program and Field Council Awards Program.
  11. Plans, organizes, and develops national safety and health campaigns for use by Federal agencies and Federal safety and health councils. Prepares Presidential policy papers, technical program materials, and guidelines for agency Federal safety council use in implementing the campaign.
  12. Plans, organizes, and administers Federal safety and health conferences.
  13. Develops and distributes publications, newsletters, and safety and health regulations to Federal agencies and field councils.
  14. Develops guidelines for preparation of agency annual reports to the Secretary of Labor. On the basis of annual reports and other information, prepares annual reports to the President on the status of the occupational safety and health of Federal employees, identifying program deficiencies and recommending improvements.
  15. Serves as liaison to the Directorate of Evaluation and Analysis regarding memoranda of understanding, Congressional testimony, Federal agency-related briefings, and other policy issues as needed.

Division of Enforcement and Technical Guidance

Mission:

To provide Federal agencies and OSHA field staff with technical and program guidance concerning OSHA standards, enforcement procedures, injury/illness data, and training.

Functions:

  1. Provides guidance to Federal departments and agencies with regard to program design and implementation. Provides technical advice on the correction of unsafe or unhealthful working conditions.
  2. Develops policies and procedures for, and coordinates the review of, agency alternate standards for consistency with OSHA standards, and notifies agencies of findings and provides technical assistance when needed.
  3. Develops and maintains a system for the collection and analysis of occupational safety and statistics for the Federal Government. Publishes an annual statistical summary of the causes, costs, and trends of Federal sector injuries and illnesses.
  4. Develops and maintains Federal agency requirements for the Integrated Management Information System. Provides data on activities conducted by OSHA field personnel with Federal agencies.
  5. Develops policies, procedures, and criteria for Federal agency targeted inspections. Identifies individual and high hazard agency installations, develops targeting lists, and distributes these lists to OSHA Regional Offices.
  6. Responds to Federal employee reports of hazards received directly or referred by members of Congress.
  7. Maintains liaison with other agencies and organizations to obtain assistance when needed in investigating accidents, or inspecting as a result of reports of unsafe or unhealthful conditions.
  8. Processes and monitors reprisal complaints received at the National Office.
  9. Resolves failure-to-abate cases forwarded by Regional Administrators to the National Office for resolution with agency headquarters.
  10. Interprets OSHA standards in response to requests from Federal agency occupational safety and health personnel and employee representatives.
  11. Develops and updates portions of the OSHA Field Operations Manual (OFOM) pertaining to Federal agency compliance policies and procedures. Interprets the OFOM for OSHA field staff and personnel from other Federal agencies.
  12. Serves as liaison to the Directorate of Training and Education with regard to the need for Federal agency training courses. Provides assistance and advice in the development of course materials which include Federal agency program requirements.
  13. Develops and maintains statistical data in support of Government injury/illness reduction incentive programs.