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time, generally not to exceed 120 days after the certification of the record of a hearing, the Assistant Secretary shall publish his decision in the FEDERAL REGISTER. His decision shall state whether or not an affirmative 18(e) determination has been made for the State plan or any separable portion thereof, or whether he intends to withdraw approval of the plan or any portion thereof pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter. The action of the Assistant Secretary shall be taken after consideration of all information, including his evaluations of the actual operations of the plan, and information presented in written submissions and in any hearings held under this subpart.

(b) Any decision under this section shall incorporate a concise statement of its grounds and purpose and shall respond to any substantial issues which may have been raised in written submissions or at the hearing.

(c) All decisions resulting in an affirmative 18(e) determination shall contain provisions amending the appropriate subparts of part 1952 of this chapter.

(d) All decisions concerning the Assistant Secretary's determination under section 18(e) of the Act shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

§ 1902.42 Effect of affirmative 18(e) determination.

(a) In making an affirmative 18(e) determination, the Assistant Secretary determines that a State has applied the provisions of its plan, or any modification thereof, in accordance with the criteria of section 18(c) of the Act and that the State has applied the provisions of this part in a manner which renders the actual operations of the State program "at least as effective as" operations under the Federal program.

(b) In the case of an affirmative 18(e) determination of a separable portion(s) of a plan, the Assistant Secretary determines that the State has applied the separable portion(s) of the plan in accordance with the criteria of section 18(c) of the Act in a manner comparable to Federal operations covering such portions and that the criteria of this part are being applied in a

manner which renders the actual operations of such separable portion(s) of the State program "at least as effective as" operations of such portions under the Federal program.

(c) Upon making an affirmative 18(e) determination, the standards promulgated under section 6 of the Act and the enforcement provisions of section 5(a)(2), 8 (except for the purpose of continuing evaluations under section 18(f) of the Act), 9, 10, 13 and 17 of the Act shall not apply with respect to those occupational safety and health issues covered under the plan for which an affirmative 18(e) determination has been granted. The Assistant Secretary shall retain his authority under the above sections for those issues covered in the plan which have not been granted an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(d) The Assistant Secretary will retain jurisdiction under the citation and contest provisions of sections 9 and 10 of the Act and the imminentdanger provisions of section 13 where such proceedings have been commenced prior to the date of his determination.

§ 1902.43 Affirmative 18(e) decision.

(a) In publishing his affirmative 18(e) decision in the FEDERAL REGISTER the Assistant Secretary's notice shall include, but shall not be limited to the following:

(1) Those issues under the plan over which the Assistant Secretary is withdrawing his standards and enforcement authority;

(2) A statement that the Assistant Secretary retains his authority under section 11(c) of the Act with regard to complaints alleging discrimination against employees because of the exercise of any right afforded to the employee by the Act;

(3) Amendments to the appropriate subpart of part 1952 of this chapter;

(4) A statement that the Assistant Secretary is not precluded from revoking his determination and reinstating his standards and enforcement authority under § 1902.47 et seq., if his continuing evaluations under section 18(f) of the Act show that the State has substantially failed to maintain a pro

gram which is at least as effective as operations under the Federal program, or if the State does not submit program change supplements to its plan to the Assistant Secretary as required by 29 CFR part 1953.

§ 1902.44 Requirements applicable to State plans granted affirmative 18(e) determinations.

(a) A State whose plan, or modification thereof, has been granted an affirmative 18(e) determination will be required to maintain a program within the scope of such determination which will be "at least as effective as" operations under the Federal program in providing employee safety and health protection at covered workplaces within the comparable scope of the Federal program. This requirement includes submitting all required reports to the Assistant Secretary, as well as submitting supplements to the Assistant Secretary for his approval whenever there is a change in the State's program, whenever the results of evaluations conducted under section 18(f) show that some portion of a State plan has an adverse impact on the operations of the State plan or whenever the Assistant Secretary determines that any alteration in the Federal program could have an adverse impact on the "at least as effective as" status of the State program. See part 1953 of this chapter.

(b) A substantial failure to comply with the requirements of this section may result in the revocation of the affirmative 18(e) determination and the resumption of Federal enforcement authority, and may also result in proceedings for the withdrawal of approval of the plan or any portion thereof pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter.

§ 1902.45 [Reserved]

§ 1902.46 Negative 18(e) determination.

(a) This section sets out the procedures which shall be followed whenever the Assistant Secretary determines that a State's plan, or any separate portion thereof, has not met the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(b) If the Assistant Secretary determines that a State plan, or a separable

portion thereof, has not met the criteria of section 18(c) of the Act and that actual operations under the plan, or portion thereof, have not met the criteria for an affirmative determination set forth in § 1902.37, he shall retain his standards authority under section 6 of the Act and his enforcement authority under sections 5(a)(2), 8, 9, 10, 13, and 17 of the Act for those issues covered under the plan or such portions of the plan which were subject to his negative determination.

(c) A decision under this section may result in the commencement of proceedings for withdrawal of approval of the plan or any separable portion thereof pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter.

(d) Where the Assistant Secretary determines that operations under a State plan or any separable portion thereof have not met the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination, but are not of such a nature as to warrant the initiation of withdrawal proceedings, the Assistant Secretary may, at his discretion, afford the State a reasonable time to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination after which time he may initiate proceedings for withdrawal of plan approval. This discretionary authority will be applied in the following

manner:

(1) Upon determining that a State shall be subject to a final 18(e) determination, the Assistant Secretary shall notify the agency designated by the State to administer its program, within the State of his decision that the State's program, or a separable portion thereof, shall be subject to a final 18(e) determination. The Assistant Secretary shall give the State a reasonable time, generally not less than 1 year, in which to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(2) The Assistant Secretary shall also publish a notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER Outlining his reasons for not making an affirmative 18(e) determination at the time. The notice will also set forth the reasonable time the State was granted to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination and set forth such conditions as the Assistant Secretary deems proper for

the continuation of the State's plan or such portions subject to this action.

(3) The State shall be afforded an opportunity to agree to the conditions of the Assistant Secretary's decision.

(4) Upon the expiration of the time granted to a State to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination under paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the Assistant Secretary may initiate proceedings to determine whether a State shall be granted an affirmative 18(e) determination. The procedures outlined in this subpart shall be applicable to any proceedings initiated under this paragraph.

PROCEDURE FOR RECONSIDERATION AND REVOCATION OF

AN

18(e) DETERMINATION

§ 1902.47

AFFIRMATIVE

Reconsideration of an affirma

tive 18(e) determination.

(a) The Assistant Secretary may at any time reconsider on his own initiative or on petition of an interested person his decision granting an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(b) Such reconsideration shall be based on results of his continuing evaluation of a State plan after it has been granted an affirmative 18(e) determination.

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(a) Whenever the Assistant Secretary proposes to revoke an affirmative 18(e) determination, he shall publish a notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER meeting the requirements of the remaining paragraphs of this section. No later than 10 days following the publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER, the affected State agency shall publish, or cause to be published, reasonable notice within the State containing the same information.

(b) The notice shall indicate the reasons for the proposed action.

(c) The notice shall afford interested persons including the affected State,

an opportunity to submit in writing, data, views, and arguments on the proposal within 35 days after publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER. The notice shall also provide that any interested person may request an informal hearing concerning the proposed revocation whenever particularized written objections thereto are filed within 35 days following publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER. If the Assistant Secretary finds that substantial objections have been filed, he shall afford an informal hearing on the proposed revocation under § 1902.50.

(d) The Assistant Secretary may, upon his own initiative, give notice of an informal hearing affording an opportunity for oral comments concerning the proposed revocation.

§ 1902.50 Informal hearing.

Any informal hearing shall be legislative in type. The rules of procedure for each hearing shall be those contained in § 1902.40 and will be published with the notice thereof.

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(a) After consideration of all relevant information which has been presented, the Assistant Secretary shall issue a decision on the continuation or revocation of the affirmative 18(e) determination.

(b) The decision revoking the determination shall also reflect the Assistant Secretary's determination that concurrent Federal enforcement and standards authority will be reinstated within the State for a reasonable time until he has withdrawn his approval of the plan, or any separable portion thereof, pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter or he has determined that the State has met the criteria for an 18(e)

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are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees. The Act also requires that employers comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under the Act, and that employees comply with standards, rules, regulations and orders issued under the Act which are applicable to their own actions and conduct. The Act authorizes the Department of Labor to conduct inspections, and to issue citations and proposed penalties for alleged violations. The Act, under section 20(b), also authorizes the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to conduct inspections and to question employers and employees in connection with research and other related activities. The Act contains provisions for adjudication of violations, periods prescribed for the abatement of violations, and proposed penalties by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, if contested by an employer or by an employee or authorized representative of employees, and for judicial review. The purpose of this part 1903 is to prescribe rules and to set forth general policies for enforcement of the inspection, citation, and proposed penalty provisions of the Act. In situations where this part 1903 sets forth general enforcement policies rather than substantive or procedural rules, such policies may be modified in specific circumstances where the Secretary or his designee determines that an alternative course of action would better serve the objectives of the Act.

§ 1903.2 Posting of notice; availability of the Act, regulations and applicable standards.

(a) (1) Each employer shall post and keep posted a notice or notices, to be furnished by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, informing employees of the protections and obligations provided for in the Act, and that for assistance and information, including copies of the Act and of specific safety and health standards, employees should contact the employer or the nearest office of the Department of Labor. Such notice or notices shall be posted by the employer in each estab

lishment in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted. Each employer shall take steps to insure that such notices are not altered, defaced, or covered by other material.

(2) Where a State has an approved poster informing employees of their protections and obligations as defined in § 1952.10 of this chapter, such poster, when posted by employers covered by the State plan, shall constitute compliance with the posting requirements of section 8(c)(1) of the Act. Employers whose operations are not within the issues covered by the State plan must comply with paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(3) Reproductions or facsimiles of such Federal or State posters shall constitute compliance with the posting requirements of section 8(c)(1) of the Act where such reproductions or facsimiles are at least 81⁄2 inches by 14 inches, and the printing size is at least 10 pt. Whenever the size of the poster increases, the size of the print shall also increase accordingly. The caption or heading on the poster shall be in large type, generally not less than 36 pt.

(b) Establishment means a single physical location where business is conducted or where services or industrial operations are performed. (For example: A factory, mill, store, hotel, restaurant, movie theatre, farm, ranch, bank, sales office, warehouse, or central administrative office.) Where distinctly separate activities are performed at a single physical location (such as contract construction activities from the same physical location as a lumber yard), each activity shall be treated as a separate physical establishment, and a separate notice or notices shall be posted in each such establishment, to the extent that such notices have been furnished by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Where employers are engaged in activities which are physically dispersed, such as agriculture, construction, transportation, communications, and electric, gas and sanitary services, the notice or notices required by this section shall be posted at the location to which employees report each day.

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§ 1903.3 Authority for inspection.

(a) Compliance Safety and Health Officers of the Department of Labor are authorized to enter without delay and at reasonable times any factory, plant, establishment, construction site, or other area, workplace or environment where work is performed by an employee of an employer; to inspect and investigate during regular working hours and at other reasonable times, and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, any such place of employment, and all pertinent conditions, structures, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment and materials therein; to question privately any employer, owner, operator, agent or employee; and to review records required by the Act and regulations published in this chapter, and other records which are directly related to the purpose of the inspection. Representa

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