Walsh-Healey Act

Safety professionals should be aware that in addition to the ELSA, several other federal laws, including the Sugar Act, Walsh-Healey Act, and Interstate Commerce Act, specifically address child labor issues, and numerous states address the employment of children in certain industries with more stringent laws. Prudent safety professionals should check with their human resources departments regarding specifics in the areas of overtime, minimum wages, and child labor. 

In 1964 ASSE assisted in the revision of the Walsh-Healey Act (the New Deal federal law setting safety protections for employees of government contractors whose contracts exceeded 10,000). A heavy emphasis on education for safety professionals began. Systems safety management emerged with the advent of the U.S. space program and membership climbed to 8,000. 

I960—Specific safety standards promulgated for the Walsh-Healey Act. 

The first occupational safety and health standards were set when, with only minor changes, the 1968 ACGIH list of nearly 400 TLVs, as well as certain standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), were incorporated into the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act. They thereby became limits of exposure for employees of federal government contractors. 

The Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act of 1936 banned hazardous... 

Some preexisting federal laws are also enforced by OSHA, including the Federal Supply Contracts Act (Walsh Healey) and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (Construction Safety Act). Standards issued under these acts are now enforced in all industries where they apply (OSHATI, 1994, chap. 2). 

The Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act, which requires payment of minimum wages and other labor standards by contractors providing materials and supplies to the federal government. 

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