ty and health program consistent with

OSHA standards.

• Display conspicuously a poster informing

employees of the provisions of the OSH

Act, Executive Order 12196, and the agency

safety and health program under 29 CFR

Part 1960.

• Designate an official with sufficient authority to manage the agency occupational safety and health program.

Workers Must Protect Themselves

Federal employees must comply with agency

policies, procedures, and directives concerning health and safety; use personal protective

equipment and other safety equipment provided by the agency; and observe all agency

safety and health rules, procedures, and standards.

Rights of Federal Workers 

Federal employees are entitled to do the following:

• Participate in their agency’s health and

safety program and related activities on

official time;

• Access their agency’s safety and health

information, including data on hazardous

substances in the workplace;

• Comment on proposed agency standards

that differ from OSHA standards;

• Obtain copies of medical and exposure

records; and

• Report and request inspections of unsafe or

unhealthful working conditions to federal

officials, including the Secretary of Labor.

How Agencies Protect Federal Employees

Federal agencies must take the following

steps to protect their workers:

• Provide workplaces free from recognized

health and safety hazards.

• Establish procedures for responding to

workplace emergencies and reporting

unsafe and unhealthful working conditions.

• Acquire, maintain, and require the use of

approved personal protective equipment.

• Inspect all workplaces annually with

employee representatives present.

• Establish procedures to assure that

employees are not subject to restraint,

interference, coercion, discrimination, or

reprisal for exercising their rights under an

agency’s safety and health program.

• Post notices of unsafe or unhealthful working conditions found during inspections.

• Abate hazardous conditions promptly, and

notify employees exposed to such conditions.

• Correct conditions immediately that involve

imminent danger.

• Keep records of accidents, injuries, illnesses and their causes, and post annual summaries for the required period of time. (See

29 CFR Part 1960.66-74.)

• Conduct occupational health and safety

training for top management, supervisors,

safety and health personnel, employees,

and employee representatives.

• Comply with all OSHA occupational safety

and health standards and rules.

• Develop and implement a site-specific safeFactSheet

Occupational Safety and Health for

Federal Employees

Thousands of federal employees are injured, become ill, or are killed in work-related

incidents each year. During FY 2004, approximately 165,000 occupational injuries

and illnesses involved civilian federal employees. In addition to the human dimension

of this issue, workers’ compensation billings for all federal employees in 2004 totaled

more than $2.3 billion.
Additional Information

For more information on occupational safety

and health for federal employees, including

the full text of OSHA’s standards, visit OSHA’s

website at www.osha.gov. Information that is

specific to occupational safety and health for

federal 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 OSHA

To report an emergency, file a complaint or

seek OSHA advice, assistance or products,

call (800) 321-OSHA or contact your nearest

OSHA regional or area office.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

DEP 6/2006