The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA was created in response to concerns about increasing workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Since its creation in 1970, workplace injuries and illnesses have reduced by 40 percent, and workplace fatalities by 60 percent.

• OSHA was created as a result of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), which was signed into law by President Nixon in December 1970.
• The Administration’s primary objective is to reduce human and economic costs attributable to avoidable workplace accidents and illnesses.
• The first OSHA standards were adopted from existing safety standards issued by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Administration.
• Subsequent standards responded to health issues well known to the safety and health community – for example, worker exposure to asbestos.
• Compliance with the standards was initially voluntary, with inspections limited to catastrophic accidents and known significant hazards.
• The enforcement policy was later amended to penalize repeat offenders and companies that willfully placed workers at risk of injury or illness.
• States are permitted to run their own OSHA programs provided state safety and health standards are at least as stringent as federal standards.
• OSHA provides training, outreach, education, and assistance to employers and encourages workers to engage in safety and health-related activities.
• In healthcare, OSHA’s standards help prevent worker exposure to infectious diseases, injuries attributable to patient handling, and workplace violence.
• The creation of OSHA has led to significant improvements in workplace safety and a reduction in work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

The standards published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or by a regional OSHA program apply to all private sector employers and all federal government agencies except where workplace safety is regulated by another federal agency – for example, the Department of Energy.

Employees of state and local government agencies are not covered by federal OSHA standards, but may have regional OSHA program protection if they work in a state with an OSHA-approved program. The list of OSHA-approved state programs can be found on our OSHA Compliance Checklist page.

OSHA has the authority to impose financial penalties for non-compliance with any applicable standard – even if non-compliance does not cause an injury, illness, or fatality. Therefore, if you are an individual with responsibility for safety and health in your organization, and you are unsure of your OSHA compliance obligations, it is recommended you seek professional compliance advice.

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