The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

National Law Drafted in 1970

Minor Amendments took place in 2011 to better specify rules but no major changes were made.

By Zach Hopkins

• Congress created the Occupational and Safety Health Act to ensure safety for workers, and to create a safer workplace. Congress wanted wants employers provide their workers with a work environment with little hazards to health and safety, such as exposure to harmful chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, and unsanitary working conditions.

• OSHA is a division of the U.S. Department of Labor and overlooks the administration of the Act and enforces its standards in the United States.