[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: 29CFR1903.7]

[Page 30-31]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR
 
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                                OF LABOR
 
PART 1903_INSPECTIONS, CITATIONS AND PROPOSED PENALTIES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1903.7  Conduct of inspections.

    (a) Subject to the provisions of Sec. 1903.3, inspections shall 
take place at such times and in such places of employment as the Area 
Director or the Compliance Safety and Health Officer may direct. At the 
beginning of an inspection, Compliance Safety and Health Officers shall 
present their credentials to the owner, operator, or agent in charge at 
the establishment; explain the nature and purpose of the inspection; and 
indicate generally the scope of the inspection and the records specified 
in Sec. 1903.3 which they wish to review. However, such designation of 
records shall not preclude access to additional records specified in 
Sec. 1903.3.
    (b) Compliance Safety and Health Officers shall have authority to 
take environmental samples and to take or obtain photographs related to 
the purpose of the inspection, employ other reasonable investigative 
techniques, and question privately any employer, owner, operator, agent 
or employee of an establishment. (See Sec. 1903.9 on trade secrets.) As 
used herein, the term employ other reasonable investigative techniques 
includes, but is not limited to, the use of devices to measure employee

[[Page 31]]

exposures and the attachment of personal sampling equipment such as 
dosimeters, pumps, badges and other similar devices to employees in 
order to monitor their exposures.
    (c) In taking photographs and samples, Compliance Safety and Health 
Officers shall take reasonable precautions to insure that such actions 
with flash, spark-producing, or other equipment would not be hazardous. 
Compliance Safety and Health Officers shall comply with all employer 
safety and health rules and practices at the establishment being 
inspected, and they shall wear and use appropriate protective clothing 
and equipment.
    (d) The conduct of inspections shall be such as to preclude 
unreasonable disruption of the operations of the employer's 
establishment.
    (e) At the conclusion of an inspection, the Compliance Safety and 
Health Officer shall confer with the employer or his representative and 
informally advise him of any apparent safety or health violations 
disclosed by the inspection. During such conference, the employer shall 
be afforded an opportunity to bring to the attention of the Compliance 
Safety and Health Officer any pertinent information regarding conditions 
in the workplace.
    (f) Inspections shall be conducted in accordance with the 
requirements of this part.

[36 FR 17850, Sept. 14, 1971, as amended at 47 FR 6533, Feb. 12, 1982; 
47 FR 55481, Dec. 10, 1982]