The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct) was enacted to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women. In 1987, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued regulations establishing minimum standards for field sanitation in covered agricultural settings.
Purpose of the OSHAct
- To assure safe and healthful working conditions for workers in the U.S.
- To reduce workplace hazards and establish safety and health standards.
- To provide for research, training, and education in occupational safety and health.
Key Parts of the OSHAct
- General Duty Clause (Section 5)
- Employers must provide a workplace “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
- Employees must comply with occupational safety and health standards and rules applicable to their own conduct.
- Creation of OSHA (Section 2 & 4)
- Establishes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within the Department of Labor to enforce the law.
- Defines the scope — applies to most private-sector employers and their employees across the U.S. (with some exceptions like self-employed workers, farms employing only family members, and certain government workers).
- Standards and Rulemaking (Section 6)
- Authorizes OSHA to develop and enforce mandatory workplace safety and health standards.
- Provides for public input and hearings in creating standards.
- Inspections, Citations, and Penalties (Section 8–10)
- Grants OSHA the authority to inspect workplaces.
- Employers can receive citations and penalties for violations.
- Workers can request inspections and must be allowed to talk to inspectors privately.
- Rights and Responsibilities
- Employer Responsibilities: Provide a safe workplace, comply with standards, correct hazards, maintain records.
- Employee Rights: Training, information, report hazards, request inspections, and protection from retaliation.
- Recordkeeping and Reporting (Section 8 & 24)
- Employers must maintain records of work-related injuries and illnesses.
- Certain serious incidents must be reported directly to OSHA.
- Research, Training, and Education
- Establishes the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to conduct research.
- Provides for training programs, grants, and education to promote workplace safety.
- Review and Appeals
- Creates the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) as an independent body to review contested OSHA enforcement actions.
✅ In short: The OSHAct consists of the General Duty Clause, the creation of OSHA, rulemaking authority, inspection and enforcement powers, employer/employee rights and duties, recordkeeping requirements, research and training provisions, and review/appeals processes — all designed to guarantee safe and healthy working conditions.