SAFE Act

Bill: 108-s-2719
Sponsor: Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Accident prevention
Alcoholism
Business records
Chemical industries
Chemicals
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consultants
Continuing education
Contracts
Cost effectiveness
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Labor
Directories
Disciplining of employees
Drug abuse
Drug abuse prevention
Drug testing
Drugs and employment
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Electronic government information
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Emergency medicine
Employee training
Employers' liability
Engineers
Environmental Protection
Facsimile transmission
Federal advisory bodies
Federal employees
Federal-state relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Health
Higher education
Imports
Industrial accidents
Industrial relations
Insurance
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
International Affairs
Internet
Law
Licenses
New products
Nurses
Occupational health and safety
Physicians
Science, Technology, Communications
Small business
State employees
State laws
Surveys
Telephone
Torts
United Nations
Warning labels
Web sites
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Safety Advancement for Employees Act of 2004 - SAFE Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to direct the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to establish: (1) a program that qualifies individuals to provide consultation services to help employers identify and correct workplace safety and health hazards; and (2) an advisory committee regarding such program. 
Exempts from civil penalties for one year (with a possible one-year renewal) employers who receive certificates of compliance from qualified consultants. 
Requires Federal personnel responsible for enforcing OSHA to: (1) meet specified eligibility requirements; and (2) if they carry out inspections or investigations, receive professional education and training at least every five years. 
Revises inspection methods. 
Directs the Secretary to provide for: (1) State cooperative agreements for State consultation services for employers; (2) a three-State pilot program for expedited consultation services for small businesses; (3) employer cooperative agreements for comprehensive safety and health management systems; and (4) an employer voluntary program, with increased small business participation, for excellence in technical and managerial protection of employees from occupational hazards. 
Authorizes employers to establish alcohol and substance abuse testing programs in accordance with Federal guidelines. 
Authorizes the Secretary's representatives to: (1) provide technical or compliance assistance to employers in correcting a violation discovered during an inspection or investigation, without issuing citations; and (2) issue warnings in lieu of citations if violations have no significant relationship to employee safety or health or if employers act promptly in good faith to abate violations that are not willful or repeated. 
Directs the Secretary to develop model material safety data sheets for a specified list of highly hazardous chemicals. Establishes the Global Harmonization Commission to consider implementation of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for hazardous communication demonstration projects. 
Increases criminal penalties for willful violations of OSHA that cause a employee's death.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8697-8701)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8696, S8701)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in Senate