29 U.S.C. § 670 — Training and employee education

(a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, after consulting the Secretary and other appropriate Federal agencies, must directly or through grants or contracts conduct education programs to provide enough qualified personnel for this chapter and information programs about the importance and proper use of adequate safety and health equipment. (b) The Secretary of Labor may directly or through grants or contracts conduct short-term training for personnel doing work related to the Secretary’s duties under this chapter. (c) After consulting the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor must establish and supervise programs educating and training employers and employees to recognize, avoid, and prevent unsafe or unhealthy conditions covered by this chapter. The Secretary must also advise employers, employees, and their organizations about effective ways to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. (d) Compliance assistance. (1) The Secretary must establish cooperative agreements with States so covered employers can consult State personnel about applying this chapter or approved State-plan requirements and about voluntary efforts to create and maintain safe workplaces. Agreements may require State contributions. (2) At an employer’s request, the State must provide on-site consultation and may provide other education and training. On-site consultation must allow employee participation. (3) Consultation must be independent of enforcement. If an employer does not immediately eliminate an imminent danger found in consultation, or does not correct a serious hazard within a reasonable time, the State must report it to the proper enforcement authority. (4) By regulation after notice and an opportunity to comment, the Secretary must allow an employer a one-year inspection exemption after the consultative visit if the employer requested and completed the visit, corrected identified hazards within State deadlines, agreed to request another visit after major changes introducing hazards, and is regularly identifying and preventing hazards while involving and training management and other employees. The exemption does not cover an inspection requested under 29 U.S.C. § 657(f) or one investigating an accident that killed an employee or hospitalized at least three employees. (5) A State must provide consultation when an employer asks. Small businesses in higher-hazard industries or with the most hazardous conditions identified in the request receive scheduling priority.