[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 9]
[Revised as of July 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1955.40]

[Page 141]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR
 
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                          OF LABOR (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1955_PROCEDURES FOR WITHDRAWAL OF APPROVAL OF STATE PLANS
--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart E_Hearing and Decision
 
Sec. 1955.40  Hearings.


    (a)(1) Except as may be ordered otherwise by the administrative law 
judge, the Department of Labor shall proceed first at the hearing.
    (2) The Department of Labor shall have the burden of proof to 
sustain the contentions alleged in the notice of proposed withdrawal, 
published under Sec. 1955.10(b)(1) but the proponent of any factual 
proposition shall be required to sustain the burden of proof with 
respect thereto.
    (b)(1) A party shall be entitled to present his case or defense by 
oral or documentary evidence, to submit rebuttal evidence, and to 
conduct such cross-examination as may be required for a full and true 
disclosure of the facts. Any oral or documentary evidence may be 
received, but the administrative law judge shall exclude evidence which 
is irrelevant, immaterial, or unduly repetitious.
    (2) The testimony of a witness shall be upon oath or affirmation 
administered by the administrative law judge.
    (3) If a party objects to the admission or rejection of any 
evidence, or to the limitation of the scope of any examination or cross-
examination, or to the failure to limit such scope, he shall state 
briefly the grounds for such objection. Rulings on all objections shall 
appear in the record. Only objections made before the administrative law 
judge may be relied upon subsequently in the proceeding.
    (4) Formal exception to an adverse ruling is not required.
    (c) Official notice may be taken of any material fact not appearing 
in evidence in the record, which is among the traditional matters of 
judicial notice, or concerning which the Department of Labor by reason 
of its functions is presumed to be expert: Provided, that the parties 
shall be given adequate notice, at the hearing or by reference in the 
administrative law judge's and the Secretary's decision of the matters 
so noticed and shall be given adequate opportunity to show the contrary.
    (d) When an objection to a question propounded to a witness is 
sustained, the examining party may make a specific offer of proof of 
what the party expects to prove by the answer of the witness orally or 
in writing. Written offers of proof, adequately marked for 
identification, shall be retained in the record so as to be available 
for consideration by any reviewing authority.
    (e) Hearings shall be stenographically reported. Copies of the 
transcript may be obtained by the parties and the public upon payment of 
the actual cost of duplication to the Department of Labor in accordance 
with 29 CFR 70.62(c).
    (f) Corrections of the official transcript may be made only when 
they involve errors affecting substance and then only in the manner 
herein provided. Corrections may be ordered by the administrative law 
judge or agreed to in a written stipulation by all parties or their 
representatives. Where the parties are in disagreement, the 
administrative law judge shall determine the corrections to be made and 
so order. Corrections may be interlineated in the official transcript so 
as not to obliterate the original text.

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