Introduction to OSHA

"Safety brings first aid to the uninjured."

As part of our employment and labor law discussion for small businesses, we recently discussed a general overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Today, we are continuing this discussion by introducing the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the “OSH Act”).

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, otherwise known as “OSHA”, is a national public health agency which was formed by the United States Congress in the year 1970 and is dedicated to the basic idea that “no worker should have to choose between their life and their job.” See Occupational Safety and Health Administration, All About OSHA, page 3, available here.

OSHA was formed to protect workers from “toxic chemicals and fatal safety hazards at work, ensuring that vulnerable workers in high-risk jobs have access to critical information and education about job hazards, and providing employers with vigorous compliance assistance to promote best practices that can save lives.” Id.

With a few exceptions, the OSH Act covers most employers and workers in the private section and some employers and workers in the public sector in all 50 U.S. states and some territories and jurisdictions under federal authority. However, immediate family members of farm employers, the self-employed, and workplace hazards regulated by a federal agency other than OSHA, are not covered by the OSH Act.

In addition to various other responsibilities, employers covered under OSHA law are required to provide workers with a safe workplace free of serious hazards and follow all OSHA health and safety standards. Id. at page 9.

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*This blog post should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information purposes only.