[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 5]
[Revised as of July 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1902.1]

[Page 1-9]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR
 
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                                OF LABOR
 
PART 1902_STATE PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENFORCEMENT OF STATE 
STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
                            Subpart A_General
 
Sec. 1902.1  Purpose and scope.


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               (This book contains parts 1900 to 1910.999)

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                                                                    Part

          SUBTITLE B--Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued)

chapter xvii--Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
  Department of Labor.......................................        1902

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          Subtitle B--Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued)

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Part                                                                Page
1900-1901       [Reserved]
1902            State plans for the development and 
                    enforcement of State standards..........           7
1903            Inspections, citations and proposed 
                    penalties...............................          27
1904            Recording and reporting occupational 
                    injuries and illnesses..................          43
1905            Rules of practice for variances, 
                    limitations, variations, tolerances, and 
                    exemptions under the Williams-Steiger 
                    Occupational Safety and Health Act of 
                    1970....................................          65
1906            Administration witnesses and documents in private 
		    litigation [Reserved]
1908            Consultation agreements.....................          76
1910            Occupational safety and health standards....          87
                Subject index for 29 CFR part 1910--
                    Occupational safety and health standards         890

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                       PARTS 1900-1901 [RESERVED]





                            Subpart A_General

Sec.
1902.1 Purpose and scope.
1902.2 General policies.

                   Subpart B_Criteria for State Plans

1902.3 Specific criteria.
1902.4 Indices of effectiveness.
1902.5 Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968.
1902.6 Consultation with the National Institute for Occupational Safety 
          and Health.

  Subpart C_Procedures for Submission, Approval and Rejection of State 
                                  Plans

1902.10 Submission.

           Procedure for Proposed or Possible Approval of Plan

1902.11 General notice.
1902.12 Opportunity for modifications and clarifications.
1902.13 Informal hearing.
1902.14 Formal hearing.
1902.15 Certification of the record of a hearing.

          Procedure for Proposed or Possible Rejection of Plan

1902.17 The proceeding.
1902.18 Previous hearing or other opportunity for comment on plan.
1902.19 Notice of hearing.

                                Decisions

1902.20 Decision following informal proceeding.
1902.21 Tentative decision following formal proceeding.
1902.22 Final decision following formal proceeding.
1902.23 Publication of decisions.

 Subpart D_Procedures for Determinations Under Section 18(e) of the Act

                                 General

1902.30 Purpose and scope.
1902.31 Definitions.
1902.32 General policies.

            Completion of Developmental Steps--Certification

1902.33 Developmental period.
1902.34 Certification of completion of developmental steps.
1902.35 Effect of certification.

                     Basis for 18(e) Determinations

1902.36 General provisions.
1902.37 Factors for determination.

                   Procedures for 18(e) Determination

1902.38 Evaluation of plan following certification.
1902.39 Completion of evaluation.
1902.40 Informal hearing.
1902.41 Decision.
1902.42 Effect of affirmative 18(e) determination.
1902.43 Affirmative 18(e) decision.
1902.44 Requirements applicable to State plans granted affirmative 18(e) 
          determinations.
1902.45 [Reserved]
1902.46 Negative 18(e) determination.

  Procedure for Reconsideration and Revocation of an Affirmative 18(e) 
                              Determination

1902.47 Reconsideration of an affirmative 18(e) determination.
1902.48 The proceeding.
1902.49 General notice.
1902.50 Informal hearing.
1902.51 Certification of the records of a hearing.
1902.52 Decision.
1902.53 Publication of decisions.

    Authority: Sec. 18, 84 Stat. 1608 (29 U.S.C. 667); Secretary of 
Labor's Order No. 3-2000 (65 FR 50017, August 16, 2000).

    Source: 36 FR 20751, Oct. 29, 1971, unless otherwise noted.



    (a) This part applies the provisions of section 18 of the Williams-
Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (hereinafter referred 
to as the Act) relating to State plans for the development and 
enforcement of State occupational safety and health standards. The 
provisions of the part set forth the procedures by which the Assistant 
Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health (hereinafter referred to as 
the Assistant Secretary) under a delegation of authority from the 
Secretary of Labor (Secretary's Order No. 12-71, 36 FR 8754, May 12, 
1971) will approve or reject State plans submitted to the Secretary. In 
the Act, Congress declared it to be its purpose and policy ``* * * to 
assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation

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safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human 
resources'' by, among other actions and programs, ``* * * encouraging 
the State to assume the fullest responsibility for the administration 
and enforcement of their occupational safety and health laws. Section 
18(a) of the Act is read as preventing any State agency or court from 
asserting jurisdiction under State law over any occupational safety or 
health issue with respect to which a Federal standard has been issued 
under section 6 of the Act. However, section 18(b) provides that any 
State that desires to assume responsibility for the development and 
enforcement therein of occupational safety and health standards relating 
to issues covered by corresponding standards promulgated under section 6 
of the Act shall submit a plan for doing so to the Assistant Secretary.
    (b) Section 18(c) of the Act sets out certain criteria that a plan 
which is submitted under section 18(b) of the Act must meet, either 
initially or upon modification, if it is to be approved. Foremost among 
these criteria is the requirement that the plan must provide for the 
development of State standards and the enforcement of such standards 
which are or will be at least as effective in providing safe and 
healthful employment and places of employment as the standards 
promulgated under section 6 of the Act which relate to the same issues.
    (c)(1) If the Assistant Secretary approves a State plan submitted 
under section 18(b), he may, but is not required to, exercise his 
enforcement authority with respect to Federal standards corresponding to 
standards approved under the plan until he determines, in accordance 
with section 18(e) of the Act, on the basis of actual operations under 
the plan, that the State is applying the criteria of section 18(c) of 
the Act. The Assistant Secretary shall not make this determination (i) 
for at least 3 years after initial approval of the plan, and (ii) in the 
case of a developmental plan approved under Sec. 1902.2(b), until the 
State has completed all the steps specified in its plan which are 
designed to make it at least as effective as the Federal program and the 
Assistant Secretary has had at least 1 year in which to evaluate the 
program on the basis of actual operations. After the determination that 
the State is applying the criteria of section 18(c) of the Act, the 
Assistant Secretary's enforcement authority shall not apply with respect 
to any occupational safety or health issue covered by the plan. 
Notwithstanding plan approval and a determination under section 18(e) 
that the section 18(c) criteria are being followed, the Assistant 
Secretary shall make a continuing evaluation, as provided in section 
18(f) of the Act, of the manner in which the State is carrying out the 
plan.
    (2) Federal enforcement authority which must be retained by the 
Assistant Secretary until actual operations prove the State plan to be 
at least as effective as the Federal program, will be exercised to the 
degree necessary to assure occupational safety and health. Factors to be 
considered in determining the level of Federal effort during this period 
include:
    (i) Whether the plan is developmental (i.e., approved under Sec. 
1902.2(b)) or complete (i.e., approved under Sec. 1902.2 (a)).
    (ii) Results of evaluations conducted by the Assistant Secretary.
    (3) Whenever the Assistant Secretary determines, after giving notice 
and affording the State an opportunity for a hearing, that in the 
administration of the State plan there is a failure to comply 
substantially with any provision of the plan or any assurance contained 
therein, he shall withdraw approval of such plan in whole or in part, 
and upon notice the State shall cease operations under any disapproved 
plan or part thereof, except that it will be permitted to retain 
jurisdiction as to any case commenced before withdrawal of approval 
whenever the issues involved do not relate to the reasons for the 
withdrawal of the plan.
    (4) A determination of approval of a State plan under section 18(e) 
does not affect the authority and responsibility of the Assistant 
Secretary to enforce Federal standards covering issues not included 
under the State plan.
    (d) The policy of the Act is to encourage the assumption by the 
States of the fullest responsibility for the development and enforcement 
of their own

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occupational safety and health standards. This assumption of 
responsibility is considered to include State development and 
enforcement of standards on as many occupational safety and health 
issues as possible. To these ends, the Assistant Secretary intends to 
cooperate with the States so that they can obtain approval of plans for 
the development and enforcement of State standards which are or will be 
at least as effective as the Federal standards and enforcement.
    (e) After the Assistant Secretary has approved a plan, he may 
approve one or more grants under section 23(g) of the Act to assist the 
State in administering and enforcing its program for occupational safety 
and health in accordance with appropriate instructions or procedures to 
be promulgated by the Assistant Secretary.

[36 FR 20751, Oct. 29, 1971, as amended at 61 FR 9230, Mar. 7, 1996]