Legal Aspects of Fire Protection Unit II Research Paper

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed as an agency of the federal government that is charged with protecting workers from recognized safety hazards within the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created as a result of passage of the “Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 in response to dangerous working conditions across the nation and as a culmination of decades of reform” (Walter, 2011, para. 5). President Richard Nixon signed the act into law on December 29, 1970 and The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was officially established on April 28, 1971 (Walter, 2011). During the 41 years on the job, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has identified and addressed numerous work hazards, as well as provided solutions to mitigate and/or avoid placing workers in unnecessary danger. OSHA regulates as enforces regulations throughout the country, however the agency does declare that “states can run their own safety and health programs as long as those programs are at least as effective as the federal program” (http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-osha.htm). The states that choose to implement their own version of the occupational safety and health plan are referred to as OSHA states, whereas those who implement no plan are required to follow the federal regulations, as set forth by OSHA. OSHA effects all workers and employers in the United States, as the desired effect of the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act is “to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources” (Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act, 1970). OS... ... middle of paper ... ...fire departments nationwide, providing increased levels of safety for both firefighters and the citizens they were sworn to protect. The Respiratory Protection Standard also provided a benefit that perhaps many did not recognize, nor can it adequately be measured, however many firefighters are now retiring healthy and living longer more quality lives after retirement due to the health benefits provided to them through the implementation of the Respiratory Protection Standard. References Dalbey, S. (1999, August 1). A fresh look at two-in/two-out. Fire Chief. Retrieved from http://firechief.com/mag/firefighting_fresh_look_twointwoout Walter, L. (2011). Four decades of OSHA: A timeline. Retrieved from http://ehstoday.com/standards/osha/four-decades-osha-timeline-0427/ Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 C.F.R. § 1975.3 et seq. (Author 1970).