OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Introduction

The Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) is an agency of the federal government, for protecting U.S. workforce from harm in the workplace. Housed within the Department of Labor, OSHA regulates the manufacture and transport of hazardous materials in the workplace and conducts inspections to ensure employer compliance with those standards (OSHA, 2006).

Discussion

On 29th of December 1970, U.S. President Nixon implemented the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which led to the introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It is an agency in the Department of Labor of the U.S., whose strategic and operational activities are the responsibility of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor. OSHA has legislative and executive functions with respect to the federal safety and health program. The mission of the agency is to safeguard the health and safety of the workers of U.S., by introducing and implementing standards; providing education, outreach, and training; forming partnerships; and focusing on continuous improvement in workplace health and safety.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 included the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The formation of OSHA was designed for assisting employers and employees with the workplace safety. The goal is the reduction of illness and injuries on the job in the U.S.. The goal of the agency is to find effective ways to assist in the prevention of worker fatalities as well as workplace injuries and illnesses. OSHA incorporates three basic strategies for illness injury and deaths reduction at the workplace (Reese & Eidson, 2006). The basic strategies, as authorized by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, are:

Effective, fair and strong enforcement.

Partnerships, alliances and other cooperative and voluntary programs.

Outreach, education, and compliance assistance.

OSHA, and its partners, have around 2100 inspectors to ensure compliance with standards, plus engineers, educators, physician, recognized writers, complaint discrimination investigators, and other support and technical personnel across its 200 offices, allover the country. These people establish standards for protection, enforce them in the workplace, and reach out to employees and employers via consultation support programs and technical assistance. Nevertheless, it is mandatory for employers to ensure a safe and secure workplace, for its employees, that is hazards free.

Demographics Served

OSHA served workers of private sector, local and state government, and federal government.

Private Sector Workers

Nearly all employees in U.S. are under the jurisdiction of OSHA. OSHA provides coverage to employees and employers throughout areas which come directly under U.S. jurisdictions, either through OSHA-approved state program or Federal OSHA. Safety and health programs, running under the supervision of state, must be as effective as the Federal government's OSHA program.

Local and State Government Workers

Local and State government's employees do not come directly under the coverage of Federal OSHA, but OSH Act provides protection to them if they are working in a state having OSHA-approved program. The four additional states,and one territory of U.S., has OSHA approved plans covering employees of public sector only. This includes:, Illinois, Connecticut, New York, Virgin Island, and New ...