Occupational Safety Information
Occupational safety is a major concern of federal authorities. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, along with the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are regulating entities charged with overseeing safety and health in the workplace. Their goal is to protect employees and employers from occupational hazards, while enforcing ongoing safety maintenance.
Other People Are Reading
-
Function
-
Occupational safety aims to prevent accidents, injuries and illnesses from occurring in the workplace. OSHA says employers are responsible for ensuring the safety of workers and keeping a work environment that is hazard-free.
Features
-
OSHA and the CDC provides employers and employees with safety and health standards. The standards set guidelines for employers to create a workplace free of occupational hazards. Such standards include regulations about working with harmful chemicals, how to operate machinery, what to do when electrical cords are frayed and how to avoid slip-and-fall accidents.
-
Significance
-
When employees are injured or become ill on the job, employers are responsible for paying worker compensation claims and reimbursing medical bills. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, about $145 billion is spent on occupational injuries in the U.S. each year, and $26 billion goes toward occupational illnesses.
-
