[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 9]
[Revised as of July 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1960.25]

[Page 169]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR
 
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                          OF LABOR (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1960_BASIC PROGRAM ELEMENTS FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEE OCCUPATIONAL 
SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS AND RELATED MATTERS--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart D_Inspection and Abatement
 
Sec. 1960.25  Qualifications of safety and health inspectors and agency 
inspections.


    (a) Executive Order 12196 requires that each agency utilize as 
inspectors ``personnel with equipment and competence to recognize 
hazards.'' Inspections shall be conducted by inspectors qualified to 
recognize and evaluate hazards of the working environment and to suggest 
general abatement procedures. Safety and health specialists as defined 
in Sec. 1960.2(s), with experience and/or up-to-date training in 
occupational safety and health hazard recognition and evaluation are 
considered as meeting the qualifications of safety and health 
inspectors. For those working environments where there are less complex 
hazards, such safety and health specializations as cited above may not 
be required, but inspectors in such environments shall have sufficient 
documented training and/or experience in the safety and health hazards 
of the workplace involved to recognize and evaluate those particular 
hazards and to suggest general abatement procedures. All inspection 
personnel must be provided the equipment necessary to conduct a thorough 
inspection of the workplace involved.
    (b) Each agency which has workplaces containing information 
classified in the interest of national security shall provide access to 
safety and health inspectors who have obtained the appropriate security 
clearance.
    (c) All areas and operations of each workplace, including office 
operations, shall be inspected at least annually. More frequent 
inspections shall be conducted in all workplaces where there is an 
increased risk of accident, injury, or illness due to the nature of the 
work performed. Sufficient unannounced inspections and unannounced 
follow-up inspections should be conducted by the agency to ensure the 
identification and abatement of hazardous conditions.
    (d) When situations arise involving multiple agencies' 
responsibilities for conditions affecting employee safety and health, 
coordination of inspection functions is encouraged.