Occupational Health and Safety

About the occupational health and safety act

The Occupational Health and Safety Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon at the end of 1970. The act was designed to protect people in their places of work from things like dangerous conditions, chemicals and other possible health and safety threats.

Occupational Health and Safety Act

Before the 19th century, there were no laws or regulations that protected workers in any industry in the United States. Once mass production was introduced with its machinery and quotas, the lack of safety precautions and the pressure to produce more and more for profit didn’t mix well, and employee injuries and deaths became an issue among workers.

In the last part of the 19th century, a measure was passed that required safety equipment to be used in railroad work. Then in 1910, after several mines collapsed and killed many workers, a body was formed to look into how to make mining safer. These unions helped get regulations passed that allowed workers to protest unsafe conditions.

But it wasn’t until the 1960s when many new and potentially dangerous chemicals were introduced into manufacturing (with little or no protection for the workers) that people began to seriously push for safety reform. An occupational health safety act was sorely needed as the number of workplace deaths topped out around 14,000 for each year.

When the bill was signed and then passed into active status in 1971, the government formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to oversee workplace safety. Commonly known today as OSHA, this body helps laborers of every stripe, from typists who may get repetitive motion injuries to construction workers who could be injured at a worksite. They have rules and regulations to cover anyone.

Occupation Health and Safety Training

OSHA is responsible for any health and safety training videos you might have to watch before you can work for an employer. They’re also responsible for any workshops or safety training you might have to take during your employment. The type of training varies by job and industry, but supervisors and managers in every industry are trained on their company’s potential hazards and how to prevent them.