| If you are a laborer, you should know the about | | | | Health and Safety Act is to protect those that |
| the general purpose of the Occupational Health | | | | are forced to work in dangerous conditions. In |
| and Safety Act. Though this Act has been in | | | | many ways, this Act is important to the safety |
| place since 1970, it has changed drastically since | | | | of those workers that find themselves engaged in |
| then. | | | | trecherous activity daily. However, some |
| Essentially, the purpose of the Occupational Health | | | | employers do not believe that the Act benefits |
| and Safety Act is to protect all laborers that | | | | them in any way, and this may be true in many |
| work for any type of (non-governmental) | | | | different situations. Some also wonder whether or |
| business. Prior to this act (signed by former | | | | not the Act should actually apply to all forms of |
| President Nixon), an industrial workplace was not a | | | | business, as some types of businesses present |
| safe environment for workers. The Act itself is | | | | no type of danger. Still, the Act is set in place to |
| incredibly interesting, though (quite surprisingly) it | | | | help those that need it, and this can only be |
| does not cover some of the most dangerous | | | | viewed as a positive thing. |
| occupations out there. | | | | Thanks to certain progressions such as the |
| The Act states that any "person engaged in a | | | | aforementioned Act, many workers find that |
| business affecting commerce who has | | | | they are able to work without fear. Unfortunately, |
| employees, but does not include the United States | | | | there are still some extremely dangerous |
| or any state of political subdivision of a State." In | | | | occupations within the nation that are not covered |
| short, this Act applies to all types of employers | | | | by this Act. Will there be a few changes to this |
| including law firms, hospitals, charities, labor unions, | | | | Act within the next few years? Possibly. For now, |
| manufacturers, and private schools. Religious | | | | the Act remains the same. |
| organizations are included in this Act if they | | | | Though the intent and purpose of the |
| employ workers. Those not covered by the Act | | | | Occupational Health and Safety Act remains, |
| include the self-employed, family farms, and | | | | roughly, the same as it originally did, the years |
| various governmental work areas - nuclear | | | | have changed the Act drastically. Many are |
| weapons manufacturers, railroads, airlines, and | | | | optimistic that this Act will be altered once again, |
| mining are not covered by this Act. | | | | though only time will tell. |
| As you can see, the purpose of the Occupational | | | | |