OSHAct employer responsibilities

The OSHAct makes employers responsible for providing safe and healthy working conditions for their employees. OSHA is authorized, however, to conduct inspections, and when violations of the safety and health standards are found, they can issue citations and financial penalties. Highlights of OSHA enforcement rights are illustrated in Table 3-2. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) remains the primary federal vehicle for ensuring workplace safety and health in the United States. This law requires that employers provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards to employee safety or health. The critical word is recognized because today s workplaces have many new materials and processes for which hazard knowledge is absent. This places a large responsibility on the employer to keep abreast of new knowledge and information about workplace hazards for their operations. The OSHAct established three agencies to deal with workplace safety and health. These were the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. 

OSHA does place responsibility for safety on the employer in the Occupational Safety and Health act of 1970 (OSHAct) through the general duty... 

Prevention of occupationally related accidents/incidents is the law. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) requires employers to provide a workplace free from hazards that could cause serious harm or death. Beyond that, it makes good business sense to prevent accident/incidents. More and more companies have come to realize that the OSHAct is a helpmate, not a hindrance, to their acddent/incident prevention initiative. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSH A) sets the foundation and assumes the role of law enforcer, allowing the employer to not be viewed as the bad guy to his or her employees. Employers can deflect responsibility to OSH A. 

The employer is held accountable and responsible under the OSHAct. The General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHAct, states that employers are obligated to provide a workplace that is free of recognized hazards that are likely... 

The OSHAct starts in Section 2 and contains congressional findings. Due to excessive injuries and illnesses, employers now have specific responsibilities regarding occupational safety and health (OS H). It is the responsibility of the Secretary of Labor to institute OSHA. He or she will oversee the development and implementation of workplace health and safety standards, including any research and training required, as well as ensure the enforcement of OSHA standards, entice states to become involved, develop reporting requirements for injuries and illnesses, and foster joint labor/ management efforts for OS H. 

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