We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are Occupational Health Regulations?

By Dale Marshall
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,918
References
Share

Occupational health regulations are issued in the United States pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which was also created by that act. They are intended to promote the safety and health of workers and generally require employers to provide a work environment free from known hazard, or to provide reasonable protection against those hazards in the workplace.

The enactment of occupational safety and health legislation by the US government was controversial for two major reasons. First, some claimed that the government had no authority under the Constitution to monitor and regulate conditions in the workplace, and second, it was predicted that the promulgation of occupational health regulations was predicted to cause irreparable damage to most companies' profitability and thus to the American economy.

The Act itself covers a great many workplace issues, but generally requires a four-part test of a hazard before OSHA may regulate it: 1) There must be a hazard; 2) It must be a recognized hazard; 3) The hazard may potentially cause or is likely to cause grave harm or death; and 4) The hazard must be fixable. There are many situations that could be considered a hazard, which don't meet these four criteria, and so it's difficult for OSHA to promulgate comprehensive regulations that completely protect workers.

OSHA is an agency of the US Department of Labor, and its leadership is appointed by the president, making its agenda and daily operations politically charged. Before issuing any occupational health regulations, OSHA solicits input from interested parties and conducts hearings for the same purpose. The development of most occupational health regulations is the subject of intense negotiations involving political, business and labor. Nevertheless, a cursory review of the occupational health regulations issued by OSHA, which have the force of law, reveals a bewildering array of topics covering seemingly every aspect of human employment.

OSHA has had a dramatic impact on American industrial life. Before the passage of the act in 1970 and the creation of OSHA, there were more than 14,000 deaths annually resulting from industrial accidents and workplace hazards, and more than 2 million injuries. Statistics on fatalities in the workplace have been kept in their modern form since 1992, and indicate that in the following 15 years, fatalities in the workplace declined over 20%, and even as the American workforce has grown, fatalities in the 21st century have remained fewer than 6,000 per year.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-occupational-health-regulations.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.