The Occupational Safety and Health Act

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) is designed to federally define what is acceptable and unacceptable in terms of on-site job safety. In addition, it established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to oversee enforcement of the act. It allowed for states to take over the responsibility of oversight if they choose, as long as they were at least as effective as the federal program.

In general, the OSHA applies to every worker and every employer. There are a few rare exceptions, like self-employed individuals and those who employ only family members on a farm, and certain government agencies with different standards.

Broadly speaking, the OSHA requires work places to be safe, regularly inspected, and for workers to be out of harm’s way as much as the job can allow. It may require some new safety practices, depending on the circumstances. It also covers such subjects as access to medical records and instances of toxic exposure, requirements of personal protective equipment that are specific to the job being performed, and communication of the fact that some materials in a product may be hazardous.

In addition to protecting workers, the act protects consumers and customers by making sure that they are aware of the inherent dangers in a given product.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the OSHA, or you have worked for an employer that failed to adhere to safety regulations, contact the Austin labor attorneys of The Melton Law Firm at (512) 330-0017 for a free consultation.