What is OSHA and what does it do?

 

According to OSHA.gov, OSHA creates and enforces federal standards governing workplace safety and health issues. Its official mission is to “assure safe and healthful conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, outreach, education and compliance assistance.” ^[1]

 

OHSA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Congress passed the OSH Act in 1970 to support safer working standards for Americans. ^[2]

 

OSHA’s safety and health standards regulate a variety of workplace safety issues, including asbestos, fall protection, cotton dust, trenching, machine guarding, benzene, lead and bloodborne pathogens.

 

How did OSHA form?

 

OSH Act passage followed greater awareness of workplace and safety issues across the country.  It was estimated that in 1970 around 14,000 workers were killed on the job. That number fell to approximately 4,830 in 2015., according to the National Department of Labor. ^[3]

 

Shortly after Congress passed the OSH Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created in 1971.

 

OSHA is housed in the U.S. Department of Labor, a cabinet-level department of the federal government, which also oversees wage standards and unemployment benefits. The U.S. Secretary of Labor oversees the Department of Labor.

 

Who does OSHA cover?

 

OSHA regulations require employers to provide a “workplace free of known health and safety hazards.”  OSHA guidelines cover work rights in most private sector companies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and in U.S. jurisdictions. OSHA regulations also cover federal government workers. In total, OSHA covers more than 130 million workers across the US, at more than 8 million worksites.

 Those not covered by OSHA regulations include: the self-employed, immediate family members of farm employers and workplaces regulated by another federal agency, such as Mine Safety and Health Administration. ^[4]

 

What does OSHA do?

 

OSHA sets federal work safety and health guidelines for most U.S. workers. OSHA regulations are designed to protect workers’ rights and prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths.

 

There are approximately 2,100 OSHA inspectors who monitor workplace compliance. OSHA also investigates worker safety and health complaints. OSHA has 10 regional offices and 85 local offices. ^[5]

 

States have the option to operate their own OSHA-approved job safety and health plans. OSHA also monitors state plans, and provides some funding to the states for their programs.

 

What is OSHA training?

 

There are two main types of authorized OSHA trainings: 10-Hour and 30-Hour. The 10-hour class is intended to “provide workers with awareness of common job-related safety and health hazards, while the 30-hour class is more appropriate for supervisors or workers with some safety responsibility,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor. ^[6]

 

Cintas offers a variety of OSHA safety training solutions. You can mix and match any combination of On-Site, Online, DIY Training Tools and our numerous safety resources to suit your training needs and budget.