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Essay on occupational health and safety act
Historical development of occupational health and safety
Importance of occupational health and safety
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The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), often referred to as the "OSH Act," was enacted in 1970 by President Richard M. Nixon. Its purpose is to assure safe and healthful working conditions for men and women (EPA, 2006). The Act is administered and enforced at the national level by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the US Department of Labor. The application of the OSH Act in the current employment climate will be discussed as it applies to a variety of industries; considerations that are most applicable to the specific type of industry will be discussed initially, and those that are equally important regardless of the type of business will complete the section. Finally, this paper will discuss how the OSH act evolved from organized labor activities to federal law and its widespread national application.
OSHA guidelines affect all companies engaged in the employment of individuals to perform work. One might assume that strictly administrative or "office work" environments are not significantly affected by OSHA regulations, but the contrary is true. Corporate offices must ensure that building standards meet code limitations; condemned buildings are typically not sanctioned as appropriate locations in which to conduct business. Additionally, if the building in which a company operates is more than 20 years old, it must ensure that no harmful asbestos exists anywhere within the structure. It is the business owners' responsibility to ensure that inspections for the presence of asbestos are performed, and it is the company's responsibility to have it removed (OSHA)
Other factors such enterprises must address involve fall prevention. For example, electrical cords must be secured and floors must b...
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...ulations, compliance directives, Federal Register notices and many additional materials as well as links to other safety and health re-sources. OSHA's interactive expert advisor software, which offers tailor-made guidance for employers in complying with safety and health standards, was also made available via the web.
References
http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/osha35yearmilestones.html
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/osha/oshaenfstatreq.html
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owastand.display_standard_group?p_toc_level=1&p_part_number=1910
http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/home/healthtopics/pdf/triggers.pdf#search=%22lighting%20migraine%22
http://www.mckesson.com/en_us/McKesson.com/Our+Businesses/McKesson+Provider+Technologies/Newsroom/McKesson+Spotlights+National+Patient+Safety+Awareness+Week.html
http://www.csb.gov/index.cfm?folder=news_releases&page=news&NEWS_ID=264
26 United States Department of Labor, "OSHA’s Mission."Last modified March 25, 2011. Accessed March 27, 2014.www.osha.gov/about.html.
OSHA is commonly utilized today in the workplace. After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire employers started to realize the debt they are owed to their employees and changes came about. “More than 30 labor-related laws written by the New York (State) Factory Investigating Commission, which was established in response to the fire and has been credited with developing a new model for worker safety in U.S. mills and workshops, eventually were adopted by the state legislature(o)”. Some of those laws require employers to have at least 2 exit doors of which are locked from the inside and do not require anything special to operate. Once those doors are opened the audible alarms sounds notifying all occupants of the fire. Fire suppression systems whether they are chemical or water, usually water, are required by law. Labor laws also require regimented breaks for workers which will prevent workers from taking breaks, such as smoking, while performing job related
Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and Abbott's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
Professional Safety, 46(10), 20-25. Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=5367632&site=ehost-live&scope=site McGuire, C. (2011, April). Workplace Safety 100 Years Ago! Safety Compliance Letter(2524), 1-6.
I have done an extensive search on the internet finding much of your needed information for the upcoming OSHA audit. You should find it helpful in answering all of the questions you had. I have attached the first page of every website in case you would like to check them out in more detail.
The OSH Act gave OSHA the authority to come into work places and inspect facilities for health and safety risks. Due to shortages in personnel, OSHA inspects accidents and safety complaints that are filed, and those facilities that have a high volume of accident rates. If an individual state has an approved safety and health enforcement plan, than they may be exempt from yearly inspections by OSHA and have their own state personnel conduct the inspections. The Act sets a maximum penalty for safety and health violations, but OSHA has the authority to calculate fines. If an industry objects to the citation or fines, they can go before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA has been criticized on both ends, by industries for being too strict, and by unions for not being strict enough. In the 1980s, OSHA had instituted a policy that would exempt some workplaces from a complete inspection if they had a lower than average injury rate. However, that policy was abandoned when an employee died from a workplace that OSHA had not fully inspected. OSHA has implemented new procedures that have set higher penalties and increased the maximum fine for all types of infractions.
In this assignment I am going to describe three different Health and Safety legislations that promote the safety of individuals within a health and social care setting.
This Act of Parliament is the core part of UK health and safety law. It places a responsibility on all bosses and managers to make sure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and well-being at work of all their staff and workers.
United States Department of Labor (2004) Occupational Safety & Health Administration. In Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care & Social Service Workers. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html
Reese, C.D. and Eidson, J.V. (1999). Handbook of OSHA construction safety and health. Boca Raton, FL. CRC Press
Employers negligent in providing health and safety in the work environment could become criminally charged, fined or sent to jail. Providing an unsafe workplace is no longer considered just as morally unjust, but an act of crime. Health and safety in the workplace has become more encompassing and broader, accepting new causes and problems that influence occupational health and safety. Health is no longer just defined as wellness of the physical body, but also wellness of the mind. Mental health is considered an area of workplace safety.
In the early 1900s industrial accidents were commonplace in this country; for example, in 1907 over 3,200 people were killed in mining accidents. At this time legislation and public opinion all favored management. There were few protections for the worker's safety. Today's industrial employees are better off than their colleagues in the past. Their chances of being killed in an industrial accident are less than half of that of their predecessors of 60 years ago. According to National safety Council (NSC), the current death rate from work-related injuries is approximately 4 per 100,000, or less than a third of the rate of 50 years ago. Improvements in safety up to now have been the result of pressure for legislation to promote health and safety, the steadily increasing cost associated with accidents and injuries, and the professionalization of safety as an occupation. When the industrial sector began to grow in the United States, hazardous working conditions were commonplace. Following the Civil War, the seeds of the safety movement were sown in this country. Factory inspection was introduced in Massachusetts in 1867. In 1868 the first barrier safeguard was patented. In 1869 the Pennsylvania legislature passed a mine safety law requiring two exits from all mines. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was established in 1869 to study industrial accidents and report pertinent information about hose accidents. The following decade saw little progress in the safety movement until 1877, when the Massachusetts legislature passed a law requiring safeguards for hazardous machinery. In 1877 the Employers' Liability Law was passed. In 1892, the first safety program was established in a steel plant in Illinois, in response to the explosion of a flywheel in that company.
Employers have a legal obligation to inform employees about safety and health standards that apply to their workplace. Employers must establish a written, comprehensive hazard communication program to ensure that employees who work with or near hazardous materials...
It starts from OSH policy and objective of an company/organization. The OSHMS aim can be achieve if employees implementing and practicing what they have learned from the programmes conducted by their management. The OSH programmes like personal protective equipment, first aid, fire preventive plan, incident/accident investigation, hazard identification and many more are playing an important role to achieve the OSHMS’s aim. The management’s commitment towards safety and health like organizing training and education is resulting in raises the employees awareness on work place safety and health and employees’ involvement to success the safety and health programmes. To enhance the OSHMS, preventive and corrective action and continual improvement are playing an important role. So that the company/organization is keep moving forward successfully in achieving occupational safety and health management system’s
Zanko, M & Dawson, P 2012, ‘Occupational health and safety management in organizations: A review’, International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 14, no. 3, p 328-344, viewed 2 April 2014, http://ro.uow.edu.au/commpapers/2832/.