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Safety

U.S. Department of Labor

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

    The mission of OSHA is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of America's workforce. To accomplish these goals, Federal and State governments work together as partners with more than 100 million working Americans and their 6.5 million employers wh o are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Information about OSHA, staff directories, publications/media releases, and technical information are available by selecting the link above.

     

  • Safety & Health Sites On the Internet

    In addition to federal government safety information provided by OSHA, other sources of safety information are available for immediate access by selecting this link. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration provides these information sources because OSHA believes they may be helpful and informative. OSHA is not affiliated with these organizations and is not responsible for the content of the information provided. Their appearance in this link should not be construed as an endorsement.

     

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Computerized Information System (OCIS)

    OSHA maintains a safety computerized information system. The OCIS WWW server contains selected databases from the OSHA Computerized Information System. OCIS contains a comprehensive set of safety health databases available to OSHA offices and the public, including regulations, manuals, documents, chemical sampling information, and training.

    The OCIS Gopher server contains the same databases as the OCIS WWW server, but the documents are in ASCII text format and there are additional search options. The OCIS FTP site contains documents and software for downloading. The OSHA National Office home page also has links to databases on this WWW server.

     

  • Mine Safety and Health Administration

    The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is involved in the health and safety of the American workers who earn their livings working in surface and underground mines. The mission of MSHA is to administer the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and to enforce compliance with mandatory safety and health standards as a means to eliminate fatal accidents; to reduce the frequency and severity of nonfatal accidents; to minimize health hazards; and to promote improved safety and health conditions in the Nation's mi nes. MSHA carries out the mandates of the Mine Act at all mining and mineral processing operations in the United States, regardless of size, number of employees, commodity mined, or method of extraction.

     


U.S. Department of Energy

  • Office of Environment, Safety and Health Technical Information Services

    The Office of Environment, Safety and Health is the Departmental advocate for excellence in programs to protect the environment, as well as the health and safety of workers at Department of Energy facilities and the public. The Office's central role as a Department-wide resource has been developed with the participation of a wide range of Stakeholders, and reflects the Office's statutory and regulatory mandates.

    This commitment to excellence in environment, safety, and health is demonstrated by striving for: continuous improvement in developing effective programs and policies; strong and independent oversight of environment, safety, health, safeguards, and security performance; and effective and "value-added" technical assistance provided to customers.

     


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

    The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal agency created in 1980 by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), or what is more commonly known as Superfund legislation. Congress enact ed Superfund as part of its response to two highly publicized and catastrophic events: discovery of the Love Canal hazardous waste site in Niagara Falls, New York, and an industrial fire in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, which set off the release of highly to xic fumes into the air in a densely populated area. Congress also created ATSDR to implement the health-related sections of laws that protect the public from hazardous wastes and environmental spills of hazardous substances.

    The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 established ATSDR as an agency of the Public Health Service with mandates to 1) establish a National Exposure and Disease Registry; 2) create an inventory of health information on hazardous substances; 3) create a list of closed and restricted-access sites; 4) provide medical assistance during hazardous substance emergencies; and 5) determine the relationship between hazardous substance exposure and illness.

    The mission of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment.

     


U.S. Department of Transportation

  • U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the Department of Transportation, was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970, as the successor to the National Highway Safety Bureau, to carry out safety programs under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and the Highway Safety Act of 1966. It also carries out consumer programs established by the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, enacted in 1972.

    NHTSA is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. This is accomplished by setting and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicle equipment, and through grants to state and loc al governments to enable them to conduct effective local highway safety programs.

    NHTSA investigates safety defects in motor vehicles, sets and enforces fuel economy standards, helps states and local communities reduce the threat of drunk drivers, promotes the use of safety belts, child safety seats and air bags, investigates odometer fraud, establishes and enforces vehicle anti-theft regulations and provides consumer information on motor vehicle safety topics.

    NHTSA also conducts research on driver behavior and traffic safety to develop the most efficient and effective means of bringing about safety improvements.

    NHTSA has a toll-free Auto Safety Hotline to provide recall information, receive motor vehicle safety complaints and furnish consumers with a wide range of information on auto safety. The Hotline operates from 8 am to 10 pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. Calls can be received during non-business hours by means of a sophisticated automatic telephone answering service. A Spanish-speaking operator is available from 8 am to 4 pm.

    The nationwide toll-free number is 800-424-9393. In the Washington, DC metropolitan area the number is 202-366-0123. For the hearing impaired the TTY number is 800-424-9153 or 202-366-7800.

     


U.S. Department of Defense

  • Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

    Under its enabling statute, (Public Law 100-456) the Board is responsible for independent, external oversight of all activities in DOE's nuclear weapons complex affecting nuclear health and safety. The Board reviews operations, practices, and occurrences at DOE's defense nuclear facilities and makes recommendations to the Secretary of Energy that are necessary to protect public health and safety. In the event that the Board's reviews disclose an imminent or severe threat to public health and safety, the Board is required to transmit its recommendations directly to the President, as well as the Secretaries of Energy and Defense.


U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

  • The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is an independent federal agency whose mission is to ensure the safety of workers and the public by preventing or reducing the effects of chemical accidents. The CSB is the lead federal agency in the conduct of investigations dedicated to identifying the cause or causes of chemical accidents, advises industry and labor on actions they should take to improve safety, and makes regulatory recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.