Agency annual reports

Agencies must submit their annual report to the Secretary by May 1 of each year. The report should describe the agency's occupational safety and health program for the previous calendar year and include objectives for the current fiscal year and a summary of the agency's self-evaluation required by 1960.78(b) (1960.71(a)(1)).

The head of each Federal agency is required to submit an annual report on the agency's occupational safety and health program to the Secretary. This obligation comes from the Act and Executive Order 12196 and is stated in 1960.71(a).

The report must describe the agency's occupational safety and health program for the previous calendar year, state objectives for the current fiscal year, and include a summary of the agency's self-evaluation findings as required by 1960.78(b) (1960.71(a)(1)).

• Use 1960.78(b) to prepare the summarized self-evaluation items such as identified deficiencies, corrective actions, and status.

The Secretary provides the agencies with the guidelines and the report format at the time the reports are requested. Agencies should request guidance from the Secretary so they receive the prescribed format and instructions (1960.71(a)(2)).

The Secretary must submit to the President by January 1 of each year a summary report on the occupational safety and health status of Federal employees based on agency reports, evaluations of agency progress in correcting hazards, and recommendations for improvement (1960.71(b)).

It means the agency must attach a concise summary of the results from the agency's own program self-evaluation required by 1960.78(b), including key findings, identified hazards or program weaknesses, and actions taken or planned to correct them (1960.71(a)(1); 1960.78(b).

• The summary should be focused and include the most significant evaluation conclusions so the Secretary can assess agency performance.

The agency should request the report guidelines and format from the Secretary, because 1960.71(a)(2) requires the Secretary to provide the agencies with the prescribed guidelines and format at the time they request them.

The annual report requirement applies to the agency's occupational safety and health program for Federal employees; coverage for contractor workers depends on whether those workers are considered Federal employees or are otherwise covered by OSHA standards. Executive Order 12196 and related guidance explain that Federal agency programs focus on Federal employee protection, while civilian contractor employees may be covered under OSHA in other contexts (1960.71(a); see OSHA interpretation on coverage distinctions in the Oxygen-deficient atmospheres letter: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-07-16).

Agencies should report program activities and results that occurred during the previous calendar year and separately state goals and objectives that apply to the agency's current fiscal year, because 1960.71(a)(1) explicitly distinguishes those two timeframes. This means narrative and data for the prior calendar year, followed by forward-looking objectives tied to the fiscal year in effect when the report is submitted.

The head of the Federal agency is the responsible official for submitting the annual report to the Secretary, since 1960.71(a) requires all Federal agency heads to submit the annual report. Agencies commonly delegate preparation to their safety office but the agency head remains accountable for submission and content.

The standard does not prescribe a fixed checklist for the self-evaluation summary; instead it requires that the summary reflect the agency's self-evaluation required by 1960.78(b). Agencies should follow any guidelines and format the Secretary provides when requested (1960.71(a)(1); 1960.71(a)(2); 1960.78(b)).

1960.71 does not set out specific penalties for late submission; it requires agencies to submit reports and describes how the Secretary will use them. However, Federal agencies are accountable under the broader 29 CFR Part 1960 program requirements, and failure to comply with reporting obligations could lead to administrative follow-up by the Secretary or agency oversight actions (1960.71). For related discussions about agency obligations under Part 1960 and enforcement context, see OSHA's guidance in the "Adoption of ANSI window cleaning standard" interpretation: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2005-03-28-0.

Agency reports are used by the Secretary to evaluate individual agency progress, identify problems in correcting unsafe or unhealthful working conditions, and develop recommendations to improve agency performance—these consolidated findings inform the Secretary's annual report to the President (1960.71(a)(3); 1960.71(b)).

• The Secretary's January 1 summary can drive cross-agency priorities, shared corrective actions, and resource allocation to address systemic safety issues.

Agencies should provide a concise summary of identified deficiencies, corrective actions already taken, planned actions with target dates, and any barriers to correction as part of the self-evaluation summary required by 1960.78(b), because 1960.71(a)(1) specifically requires inclusion of the self-evaluation finding and 1960.78(b) governs the self-evaluation process.

• Keep the summary focused on the most significant issues so the Secretary can evaluate agency progress and problems efficiently.

Agencies should follow the guidelines and format provided by the Secretary, but may include attachments or supporting data if the Secretary's instructions permit or request them; 1960.71(a)(2) requires the Secretary to supply the report format and guidelines when requested, so agencies should clarify during that request whether supplemental materials are acceptable.