ty and health program consistent withOSHA standards.

• Display conspicuously a poster informingemployees of the provisions of the OSHAct, Executive Order 12196, and the agencysafety and health program under 29 CFRPart 1960.

• Designate an official with sufficient authori-ty to manage the agency occupational safe-ty and health program.

Workers Must Protect ThemselvesFederal employees must comply with agencypolicies, procedures, and directives concern-ing health and safety; use personal protectiveequipment and other safety equipment pro-vided by the agency; and observe all agencysafety and health rules, procedures, and stan-dards.

Rights of Federal Workers Federal employees are entitled to do the fol-lowing:• Participate in their agency’s health and

safety program and related activities onofficial time;

• Access their agency’s safety and healthinformation, including data on hazardoussubstances in the workplace;

• Comment on proposed agency standardsthat differ from OSHA standards;

• Obtain copies of medical and exposurerecords; and

• Report and request inspections of unsafe orunhealthful working conditions to federalofficials, including the Secretary of Labor.

How Agencies Protect Federal EmployeesFederal agencies must take the followingsteps to protect their workers:• Provide workplaces free from recognized

health and safety hazards.• Establish procedures for responding to

workplace emergencies and reportingunsafe and unhealthful working conditions.

• Acquire, maintain, and require the use ofapproved personal protective equipment.

• Inspect all workplaces annually withemployee representatives present.

• Establish procedures to assure thatemployees are not subject to restraint,interference, coercion, discrimination, orreprisal for exercising their rights under anagency’s safety and health program.

• Post notices of unsafe or unhealthful work-ing conditions found during inspections.

• Abate hazardous conditions promptly, andnotify employees exposed to such conditions.

• Correct conditions immediately that involveimminent danger.

• Keep records of accidents, injuries, illness-es and their causes, and post annual sum-maries for the required period of time. (See29 CFR Part 1960.66-74.)

• Conduct occupational health and safetytraining for top management, supervisors,safety and health personnel, employees,and employee representatives.

• Comply with all OSHA occupational safetyand health standards and rules.

• Develop and implement a site-specific safe-

FactSheetOccupational Safety and Health forFederal EmployeesThousands of federal employees are injured, become ill, or are killed in work-relatedincidents each year. During FY 2004, approximately 165,000 occupational injuriesand illnesses involved civilian federal employees. In addition to the human dimensionof this issue, workers’ compensation billings for all federal employees in 2004 totaledmore than $2.3 billion.

Additional InformationFor more information on occupational safetyand health for federal employees, includingthe full text of OSHA’s standards, visit OSHA’swebsite at www.osha.gov. Information that isspecific to occupational safety and health forfederal employees is at http://www.osha.gov/dep/fap/index.html.

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or

standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of

compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.

The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

Contacting OSHATo report an emergency, file a complaint orseek OSHA advice, assistance or products,call (800) 321-OSHA or contact your nearestOSHA regional or area office.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

DEP 6/2006