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Health & Safety Requirements in the Workplace

The health and safety of employees it the workplace is the responsibility of the employer. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, "the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSH) of 1970 was put into action to assure safe and healthful working conditions for men and women." By addressing safety and health concerns in the workplace, employers can potentially save money, add more value to the business and increase the employee's ability to enjoy better health, sound job security and the opportunity to attain more in life.

  1. Who's covered?

    • The Occupational Health and Safety Act provides coverage for all employees and employers in all 50 states.

      Administered by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSH) of 1970 provides coverage for all employees and employers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and other territories operated by the U.S. According to the OSH, an employer is defined as a person who owns a business affecting commerce who has employees. OSH doesn't cover self-employed individuals, farms employing by only immediate family members, and state and local government employees (unless the state they're working in has an OSH-approved state plan).

    Federal OSH standards

    • Federal OSH standards are placed in four main categories: general industry, agriculture, construction and maritime. Among these sectors, certain standards are implemented to protect employees such as: access to medical and exposure records, hazard communication and personal protective equipment. Medical and exposure records require that employers make available to OSH, employees and other related representatives information regarding the employee's exposure to toxic substances. The hazard communication standard requires manufacturers and importers of hazardous materials to undergo safety hazard evaluations of the materials they transport. If the product is found to be hazardous, the manufacturer must label it as such on the material's container. When shipping the products to a new customer, a material safety data sheet (MSDS) must accompany the material. It is the responsibility of the employer to train their employees to be familiar with and avoid the material's hazards. The personal protective equipment category requires employers to provide for any employee personal equipment that's intended to protect him from particular hazards involved with dealing with equipment. The employee is also responsible for making sure the employee is properly trained and equipped to handle and operate certain types of machinery. Examples of protective gear may include: helmets, protective eye goggles, hard-toe shoes and hearing protection.

    Employees' rights

    • Employees can report health and safety issues to OSH.

      Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employees have the right to file a complaint with OSHA concerning the health and safety of their work environment. The employee's identification will be kept confidential from their employer

    Notices

    • Employers are required to post the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (form 300A) in a noticeable location for all employees to view the illnesses and injuries that frequently occur in their work environment. Along with that, covered employers are required to post OSHA's "Job Safety and Health: It's the Law" poster. The poster is also available in Spanish, but posting the notice in any other language than English is not required. However, it can come in handy if the majority of your employees speak Spanish.

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