Brief history and purpose of OSHA
The occupational safety and Health administration was established in 1971 under the United States department of labor. It was enacted by the OSHA act and meant to minimize workplace injuries and fatalities by investing in workplace safety. The act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 1970 and was officially established in April the next year. OSHA has a defined mission of assuring safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance (Hofmann, Burke, & Zohar, 2017).
In addition to investigating fatalities at the workplace the agency is involved in investigating incidents that result in nonfatal injuries. OSHA has the powers to levy fines or prosecute employers who fail to provide safe working conditions. The agency also participates in developing statutes to protect workers. A good example of such laws is the standard that limits the workplace exposure to asbestos (Hofmann, Burke, & Zohar, 2017).
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OSHA standards and their application
The OSHA standards are requirements set to ensure that employers make safety and health policies a necessity. Key OSHA standards require that the employer provides a workplace that is free from serious hazards and comply with standards rules and regulation related to the OSH act.
Construction Safety Standards (1972) were passed to protect the construction workers operating electric power transmission and distribution equipment, aerial lifts and helicopters. The fall protection and construction standards demands that the employer should provide fall protection systems (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2010). Additionally the employer has the power to determine if the walking/working surfaces on which workers operate have the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely. Employees can only work on such structures if they are in good order and have the strength and the structural integrity. All the sides and edges and surfaces should be protected to avoid fall and related injuries.
The hazard communication standard was implemented to promote the classifying of hazards of all the chemicals that are produced or imported. All the information regarding the chemical should be adequately and clearly shared with the employers and employees (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2010). Proper labeling should be done to all the chemicals. For instance if a company is handling some corrosive chemical it should inform its employees on the hazards of these chemical and ensure they are well protected.
The respiratory protection standards is meant to control the occupational diseases caused by breathing air that has been contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes various or sprays (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2010). In an environment that has contaminated air the employers should provide the employee with equipment t protect them from any contamination. The provision of gas mask and respirators is a good example of how these standards are observed a workplace.
The powered industrial trucks standards is a regulation that deals with the fire protection, design, maintenance and use of fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks and other trucks powered by ethical motors or internal combustion engines. All such machinery must meet some design and construction requirements established under the American national standards for powered industrial trucks (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2010). The truck must be approved by the specified testing laboratory.
Real world example of an organization that violated the OSHA standards
The Tyson foods company is recorded to be a severe violator of an enforcement program after being found guilty of violation. According to an OSHA report, the company was involved in violation four workplace safety standards (Hofmann, Burke, & Zohar, 2017). In this incident the food manufacturing plant had one of its worker’s hand’s severed by unguarded conveyor belt. The company was reported to have failed in train workers on proper lockout procedures. The guards of the conveyor belt were reportedly removed before the accident. In the verdict the company was declared to have failed in ensuring safety procedures, demonstrating a lack of commitment to workplace safety and health. Consequently, OSHA proposed a $147,000 fine and some follow up inspections to ensure the environment in the company was in compliance with the law (Hofmann, Burke, & Zohar, 2017)..
References
Hofmann, D. A., Burke, M. J., & Zohar, D. (2017). 100 years of occupational safety research: From basic protections and work analysis to a multilevel view of workplace safety and risk. Journal of Applied Psychology , 102 (3), 375.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2010). Top 10 most frequently cited standards for fiscal 2010 (Oct. 1, 2009 to Sept. 30, 2010).
