What Is OSHA?

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OSHA is an act to assure safe and healthful working conditions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and it was established in 1971. Since being established, OSHA has worked with state partners, coupled with the efforts of employers, safety and health professionals, unions and advocates, has had a dramatic effect on the workplace safety. OSHA has drastically dropped the fatality, injury and illness rates since becoming an established organization. With OSHA being around, they are committed to protecting workers from toxic chemicals and safety hazards, and they ensure that workers in high risk environments have access to education about compliance assistance. With OSHA being the Safety and Health Administration, they have certain …show more content…
Compliance Safety and Health Officers carry out inspections and assess fines for regulatory violations. Inspections are planned for worksites in particularly hazardous industries. Inspections can also be triggered by a workplace fatality, multiple hospitalizations, worker complaints, or referrals. OSHA’s enforcement policy plays an important role in OSHA’s efforts to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. OSHA finds employers who fail to upkeep their safety and health responsibilities, and they take strong decisive actions. Under the OSH Act, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace. OSHA's mission is to assure safe and healthful workplaces by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. OSHA inspections are initiated without any notice and are conducted using onsite investigations. OSHA also has a severe violator enforcement program which focuses on effort of employers who willfully and repeatedly endanger workers by exposing them to serious …show more content…
Workers may file a complaint online or by phone 1-800-321-OSHA, mail, email or fax with the nearest OSHA office and request an inspection. When filing a complaint, it should be filed as soon as possible after noticing the hazard or lack of compliance because OSHA citations may only be issued for violations that currently exist or existed in the past 6 months. Complaints from workers are taken seriously and OSHA will keep your information confidential. OSHA also has Whistleblower protection, this protects the rights of the workers to speak up without fear of retaliation. Overall OSHA was put in place as a safety measure to help each individual and protect them. If OSHA was not established way back in 1971 I can only imagine that there would be an increase in work place accidents, increased people taking sick leave, which would also lead to decrease in revenue. Machine operators might not get the proper training and could possible hurt themselves or others. Their machine might not have a guard shielding the moving parts and something could happen. There are many things that could happen, and no one would know the first thing about them if it wasn’t for