Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor.
- It was founded in 1970.
OSHA purpose
- The main mission is to prevent workplace illness, injury, or death.
- Set ad regulates health and safety guidelines that all businesses must follow.
- Failure to comply with OSHA standards may result in fines and the possible closure of your business.
OSHA and the MSDA Requirements
- The requirements for MSDSs are found in paragraph(g) of 29 CFR 1910.1200 of the OSHA regulations.
- OSHA requires that the MSDS sheet must be developed for hazardous chemicals used in the workplace.
MSDS = Material Safety Data Sheet
OSHA Objectives
- To maintains the balance between research, enforcement, training, consultation, and standardization.
- To encourage employers and employee to reduce safety and health hazard
- To provide and establish an effective measure of safety and health standards
- To implement programs to improve the quality of people engaged in the safety and health field
- To investigate reports of unsafe conditions, equipment, or practices.
OSHA Responsibility to Place on Employers
- OSHA representative is not often present on a day-to-day basis, its influence is felt in the day-to-day work of most employers across the country.
- Companies are required to post OSHA reporting practices if an employee witnesses something unsafe
- They must have OSHA approved first aid supplies on the premises as well as an emergency preparedness plan.
- They must respond to an employee’s request for injury and illness records.
- They must comply with OSHA inspectors’ requests.
- They must train new employees on safety procedures to ensure they can do their job effectively.
- OSHA is continually working with NIOSH to create new regulations that ensure the safety of employees. While most organizations want to keep their employees safe, OSHA ensures that the right information reaches the right people in a timely manner.
