OSHA: The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

“Coverage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 extends to all employers and their employees in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all other territories under the federal government jurisdiction.”  The Act defines an employer as any “person engaged in businesses affecting commerce who has employees, but does not include the United States or any state or political subdivision of the State.”

The OSHA Act applies to employers and employees in the diverse fields such as: Manufacturing; Construction; Agriculture; Law and Medicine; Charity and Disaster Relief; Organized Labor; Religious groups who employ; Private Education; secular workers.

The OSHA Act does not apply to: self-employed persons; immediate family members of a farm employer on farms that employ only immediate family members; and workers whose workplace hazards are regulated by another federal agency, such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Energy, or the Coast Guard.
   
Setting standards, conducting workplace inspections to attest the compliance with the standards and providing a safe workplace are the primary functions of OSHA. The Act’s expectations make employers aware of standards that apply to the company, eliminate hazardous or unsafe practices in the workplace, and comply with the standards.