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The Mechanics of OSHA in the Workplace

The  Mechanics  of  OSHA  in  the  Workplacefostering a cooperative approach is more
effective than a combative approach between
Written  By:  Matt  Arganoemployers and OSHA officials. Voluntary
Protection programs provide recognition of
OSHA  SUMMARYsafety and health initiatives that meet
voluntary protection program guidelines and
The Occupational Safety and Health Act ofstandards. To become a member, companies
1970 created the first standardized U.S.apply to OSHA, and sites are approved on the
policy for health and safety. An Occupationalcriteria of written health and safety
Safety and Health Administration was convenedprograms, and employer performance in meeting
within the Department of Labor to administerthe  standards  enumerated in these programs.
and monitor the act. The charter for OSHA, as
enumerated in the Occupational Safety andSome of the more recognizable OSHA programs
Health Act, includes: -Encouraginginclude: Emergency Exit Procedures, Machine
employers and employees to mitigate safetyGuarding; Confined Space Entry; and Personal
and health risks. -Assisting employersProtective Equipment. Under OSHA, employers
and employees to perfect safety and healthwith 11 or more employees must maintain
programs -Authorizing the Department ofrecords of occupational injuries or
Labor to establish occupational health andillnesses. OSHA requires that some
safety guidelines. -Creating anoccupational injuries and all occupational
Occupations Safety Review Committee toillnesses be reported. OSHA defines an
facilitate appeals under the Act.occupational injury as "such that is a cut,
-Researching and discovering the correlationsfracture, sprain, or workplace injury
between the workplace and diseases andinvolving a single incident in the
creating appropriate benchmarks to eliminateworkplace." Occupational injuries must also
workplace sickness. -Establish medicalbe recorded if they result in death,
guidelines to ensure that no employee willdisability, restriction or modification of
experience a decrease in quality of life, orwork duties, loss of consciousness, or
life expectancy. -Implementing trainingmedical treatment beyond minor first aid.
programs to improve the effectiveness ofOSHA enforces its policies and standards
employees working in the safety and healththrough employer inspections and the issuance
industry. -Providing effective reportingof violations when necessary. Inspections are
and enforcement of safety and healthcategorized  by  priorities  including:
imperatives.
First Priority - Conditions where there is
Most employees in the Unites States fallreasonable belief that a danger exists and
under OSHA's jurisdiction, with some notablecan be expected to cause serious injury or
exceptions, including family farms workeddeath. Second Priority - Workplace injuries
only by family members and self-employedresulting in the hospitalization of three or
business owners. OSHA's coverage ismore workers. Third Priority - Complaints
applicable to any person engaged in athat allege violations of OSHA guidelines or
business affecting commerce that haveunsafe working conditions. Fourth Priority -
employees but does not include any stateIndustries targeted on the basis of
workers. In a number of states, however,inherently high incident rates or where
OSHA has approved plans where public andemployees are exposed to toxic substances.
municipal workers are covered in theFifth Priority - Follow up and re-inspection
workplace.of companies who have been cited in prior
inspections.
Employee rights under the OSHA Act are
covered by the General Duty Clause. UnderAlthough major strides towards ensuring a
this Act, every worker has the right to "asafer, healthier workplace is apparent, an
place of employment free from hazards thatever-changing globalized workplace presents
are likely to cause imminent injury ornew challenges to the long-term effectiveness
death." Although OSHA does not citeand relevance of the OSHA Act. Among them, a
individual workers for safety violations,growing number of workplace conditions
each employee is expected to comply with allincluding substance abuse, AIDS, SARS,
occupational safety and health standards andinfectious diseases, emotional stress and
all rules and regulations found in the Act.burnout,  and  workplace  violence.
OSHA provides employees with a number of
rights including: the right to require a safeOver the past several decades, work related
and healthy job site; the right to requestfatalities have been cut by almost 45
for an inspection of the workplace; the rightpercent. Injuries and illnesses have declined
to accompany an OSHA inspector during anby over 35 percent. The evolution of a once
inspection; the right to receive safetyadversarial relationship between OSHA and
training; and the right to file a complaintemployers to a more symbiotic, co-existence
based upon health or safety standards oris evident. Both OSHA and employers share in
concerns.the accomplishments that have been realized
in enhancing health and safety awareness and
Recently, a growing number of sectors havesafeguarding the well being of workers
formed voluntary protection programs. Thesethroughout the nation.
programs are based upon the theory that



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