| The Mechanics of OSHA in the Workplace | | | | employers and OSHA officials. Voluntary |
| Written By: Matt Argano | | | | Protection programs provide recognition of safety |
| OSHA SUMMARY | | | | and health initiatives that meet voluntary |
| The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 | | | | protection program guidelines and standards. To |
| created the first standardized U.S. policy for health | | | | become a member, companies apply to OSHA, |
| and safety. An Occupational Safety and Health | | | | and sites are approved on the criteria of written |
| Administration was convened within the | | | | health and safety programs, and employer |
| Department of Labor to administer and monitor | | | | performance in meeting the standards |
| the act. The charter for OSHA, as enumerated in | | | | enumerated in these programs. |
| the Occupational Safety and Health Act, includes: | | | | Some of the more recognizable OSHA programs |
| -Encouraging employers and employees to | | | | include: Emergency Exit Procedures, Machine |
| mitigate safety and health risks. -Assisting | | | | Guarding; Confined Space Entry; and Personal |
| employers and employees to perfect safety and | | | | Protective Equipment. Under OSHA, employers |
| health programs -Authorizing the Department of | | | | with 11 or more employees must maintain |
| Labor to establish occupational health and safety | | | | records of occupational injuries or illnesses. OSHA |
| guidelines. -Creating an Occupations Safety | | | | requires that some occupational injuries and all |
| Review Committee to facilitate appeals under the | | | | occupational illnesses be reported. OSHA defines |
| Act. -Researching and discovering the correlations | | | | an occupational injury as "such that is a cut, |
| between the workplace and diseases and creating | | | | fracture, sprain, or workplace injury involving a |
| appropriate benchmarks to eliminate workplace | | | | single incident in the workplace." Occupational |
| sickness. -Establish medical guidelines to ensure | | | | injuries must also be recorded if they result in |
| that no employee will experience a decrease in | | | | death, disability, restriction or modification of work |
| quality of life, or life expectancy. -Implementing | | | | duties, loss of consciousness, or medical |
| training programs to improve the effectiveness of | | | | treatment beyond minor first aid. OSHA enforces |
| employees working in the safety and health | | | | its policies and standards through employer |
| industry. -Providing effective reporting and | | | | inspections and the issuance of violations when |
| enforcement of safety and health imperatives. | | | | necessary. Inspections are categorized by |
| Most employees in the Unites States fall under | | | | priorities including: |
| OSHA's jurisdiction, with some notable exceptions, | | | | First Priority - Conditions where there is |
| including family farms worked only by family | | | | reasonable belief that a danger exists and can be |
| members and self-employed business owners. | | | | expected to cause serious injury or death. |
| OSHA's coverage is applicable to any person | | | | Second Priority - Workplace injuries resulting in the |
| engaged in a business affecting commerce that | | | | hospitalization of three or more workers. Third |
| have employees but does not include any state | | | | Priority - Complaints that allege violations of OSHA |
| workers. In a number of states, however, OSHA | | | | guidelines or unsafe working conditions. Fourth |
| has approved plans where public and municipal | | | | Priority - Industries targeted on the basis of |
| workers are covered in the workplace. | | | | inherently high incident rates or where employees |
| Employee rights under the OSHA Act are | | | | are exposed to toxic substances. Fifth Priority - |
| covered by the General Duty Clause. Under this | | | | Follow up and re-inspection of companies who |
| Act, every worker has the right to "a place of | | | | have been cited in prior inspections. |
| employment free from hazards that are likely to | | | | Although major strides towards ensuring a safer, |
| cause imminent injury or death." Although OSHA | | | | healthier workplace is apparent, an ever-changing |
| does not cite individual workers for safety | | | | globalized workplace presents new challenges to |
| violations, each employee is expected to comply | | | | the long-term effectiveness and relevance of the |
| with all occupational safety and health standards | | | | OSHA Act. Among them, a growing number of |
| and all rules and regulations found in the Act. | | | | workplace conditions including substance abuse, |
| OSHA provides employees with a number of | | | | AIDS, SARS, infectious diseases, emotional stress |
| rights including: the right to require a safe and | | | | and burnout, and workplace violence. |
| healthy job site; the right to request for an | | | | Over the past several decades, work related |
| inspection of the workplace; the right to | | | | fatalities have been cut by almost 45 percent. |
| accompany an OSHA inspector during an | | | | Injuries and illnesses have declined by over 35 |
| inspection; the right to receive safety training; and | | | | percent. The evolution of a once adversarial |
| the right to file a complaint based upon health or | | | | relationship between OSHA and employers to a |
| safety standards or concerns. | | | | more symbiotic, co-existence is evident. Both |
| Recently, a growing number of sectors have | | | | OSHA and employers share in the |
| formed voluntary protection programs. These | | | | accomplishments that have been realized in |
| programs are based upon the theory that | | | | enhancing health and safety awareness and |
| fostering a cooperative approach is more | | | | safeguarding the well being of workers throughout |
| effective than a combative approach between | | | | the nation. |