The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) ensure that workers are provided with a working environment that does not pose a risk to their health. The Act does not cover all employees but specific ones under its jurisdiction. However, a large number of employees in America are under OSHA jurisdiction. It covers all employees in the 50 states in America, including private-sector employees. These employees are covered either through the state or OSHA-approved programs (USDL, 2015). Health and safety programs that are run by the state operate in the same manner as those provided for by OSHA. Other employees that are covered by OSHA include those working in government agencies such as the United States Postal Service (USPS).
However, some employees do not fall under the OSHA jurisdiction and are therefore not covered by the Act. Employees who are not under the wings of OSHA include those who work for the state and local government. Nonetheless, some state and local government employees who work in states with OSHA-approved programs enjoy its protection. Some 22 states having OSHA-approved programs for public sector workers only include Maine, Illinois, Connecticut, Virgin Islands, New Jersey, and New York, among others (USDL, 2015). However, employees who are not strictly covered by OSH Act include those who are self-employed; farm employer’s who do not employ outside employees but immediate family members; employees working in workplaces which are regulated by other agencies such as the Mine Safety Health Administration, Coast Guard, and the Department of Energy.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
It is important to note that most employees who enjoy OSHA protections are largely from the private sector and federal agencies. Most employees working for state and local governments are not covered by OSHA with the exception of those who work in states that have OSHA-approved programs.
References
United States Department of Labor. (2015). We are Osha: We can help. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/3334we-can-help-sm.pdf
