Introduction to OSHA

Intro to OSHA

Lesson Overview
Purpose:
• To provide workers with introductory information about
OSHA
Topics:
1. Why is OSHA important to you?
2. What rights do you have under OSHA?
3. What responsibilities does your employer have under
OSHA?
4. What do the OSHA standards say?
5. How are OSHA inspections conducted?
6. Where can you go for help?

2
 Intro to OSHA

Topic 1:
Why is OSHA Important to You?
• OSHA began because, until 1970, there were no
national laws for safety and health hazards.
• On average, 15 workers die every day from job
injuries
• Over 5,600 Americans die from workplace injuries
annually
• Over 4 million non-fatal workplace injuries and
illnesses are reported

3
 Intro to OSHA

History of OSHA
• OSHA stands for the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration,
an agency of the U.S. Department
of Labor
• OSHA’s responsibility is worker
safety and health protection

 On December 29, 1970, President Nixon signed the OSH

Act
 This Act created OSHA, the agency, which formally came
into being on April 28, 1971
 Intro to OSHA

OSHA Coverage Activity

Covered by
Worker
OSHA?

1. Harry Adams, a miner at Below Ground

YES NO
Inc.

2. Adrian Smith, one of 3 employees of

YES NO
ABC landscaping.

3. Taylor Dell, an accountant in business

YES NO
for herself.

4. Rob Jones, one of 10 carpenters

YES NO
working for Woody, Inc.
 Intro to OSHA

OSHA’s Mission
• The mission of OSHA is to save lives, prevent injuries and
protect the health of America’s workers.
• Some of the things OSHA does to carry out its mission are:
– developing job safety and health standards and enforcing
them through worksite inspections,
– maintaining a reporting and recordkeeping system to keep
track of job-related injuries and illnesses, and
– providing training programs to increase knowledge about
occupational safety and health.
 Intro to OSHA
Topic 2:
What Rights Do You Have Under OSHA?
• You have the right to:
– A safe and healthful workplace
– Know about hazardous chemicals
– Information about injuries and illnesses in your workplace
– Complain or request hazard correction from employer
– Training
– Hazard exposure and medical records
– File a complaint with OSHA
– Participate in an OSHA inspection
– Be free from retaliation for exercising safety and health rights
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• The creation of OSHA provided

workers the right to a safe and
healthful workplace.
 Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act states: “Each employer
shall furnish to each of his employees employment
and a place of employment which are free from
recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to
cause death or serious physical harm to his
employees."
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• Employers must have a written, complete hazard

communication program that includes information on:
 Container labeling,
 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), and
 Worker training. The training must
include the physical and health hazards
of the chemicals and how workers can
protect themselves; including specific
procedures the employer has
implemented to protect workers, such as
work practices, emergency procedures,
and personal protective equipment.
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• OSHA’s Recordkeeping rule requires

most employers with more than 10
workers to keep a log of injuries and
illnesses.

 Workers have the right to review the current log, as

well as the logs stored for the past 5 years.
 Workers also have the right to view the annually
posted summary of the injuries and illnesses (OSHA
300A).
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• Workers may bring up safety and health

concerns in the workplace to their employers
without fear of discharge or discrimination, as
long as the complaint is made in good faith.
• OSHA regulations [29CFR 1977.9(c)] protect
workers who complain to their employer
about unsafe or unhealthful conditions in the
workplace.
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• Workers have a right to get

training from employers on a
variety of health and safety
hazards and standards that
employers must follow.

 Some required training covers topics such as, lockout-tagout,

bloodborne pathogens, noise, confined spaces, fall hazards in
construction, personal protective equipment, along with a
variety of other subjects.
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• 1910.1020: right to examine & copy records

• Examples of toxic substances and harmful
physical agents are:
– Metals and dusts, such as, lead, cadmium, and
silica.
– Biological agents, such as bacteria, viruses, and
fungi.
– Physical stress, such as noise, heat, cold, vibration,
repetitive motion, and ionizing and non-ionizing
radiation.
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• Workers may file a complaint with OSHA if they

believe a violation of a safety or health standard, or
an imminent danger situation, exists in the
workplace.
• Workers may request that their name not be
revealed to the employer.
• If a worker files a complaint, they have the right to
find out OSHA’s action on the complaint and request
a review if an inspection is not made.
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• Employee representative can accompany OSHA inspector

• Workers can talk to the inspector privately.
• Workers may point out hazards, describe injuries, illnesses or
near misses that resulted from those hazards and describe
any concern you have about a safety or health issue.
• Workers can find out about inspection results, abatement
measures and may object to dates set for violation to be
corrected.
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• Workers have the right to be free from retaliation for

exercising safety and health rights.
• Workers have a right to seek safety and health on the
job without fear of punishment.
• This right is spelled out in Section 11(c) of the OSH
Act.
• Workers have 30 days to contact OSHA if they feel
they have been punished for exercising their safety
and health rights.
 Intro to OSHA
Your Right to…

• Workers have the right to be free from retaliation for

exercising safety and health rights.
• Workers have a right to seek safety and health on the
job without fear of punishment.
• This right is spelled out in Section 11(c) of the OSH
Act.
• Workers have 30 days to contact OSHA if they feel
they have been punished for exercising their safety
and health rights.
 Intro to OSHA

Employers are Required to:

KEEP RECORDS OF INJURIES AND ILLNESSES
REPORTING AND RECORDING CHECKLIST
Employers must:
 Report each worker death
 Report each incident that hospitalizes 3 or
more workers
 Maintain injury & illness records
 Inform workers how to report an injury or
illness to the employer
 Make records available to workers
 Allow OSHA access to records
 Post annual summary of injuries & illnesses
 Intro to OSHA

Employers are Required to:

PROVIDE AND PAY FOR PPE
Handout #7: Employers Must
Provide and Pay for PPE

• Does anyone wear personal protective equipment on their

job?
• Employers are required to determine if PPE should be used to
protect their workers.
• Rule was effective on February 13, 2008 and implemented by
May 15, 2008.
 Intro to OSHA
Topic 4:
What do the OSHA Standards Say?
• OSHA standards fall into four categories:
General Industry, Construction, Maritime, and
Agriculture.
• OSHA issues standards for a wide variety of
workplace hazards
• Where there are no specific OSHA standards,
employers must comply with The General
Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1)
 Intro to OSHA
Topic 4:
What do the OSHA Standards Say?
• OSHA standards fall into four categories:
General Industry, Construction, Maritime, and
Agriculture.
• OSHA issues standards for a wide variety of
workplace hazards
• Where there are no specific OSHA standards,
employers must comply with The General
Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1)
 Intro to OSHA

Priority Category of Inspection

1st Imminent Danger:
Reasonable certainty an immediate danger exists

2nd Fatality/Catastrophe:
Reported to OSHA; inspected ASAP

3rd Complaints/Referrals:
Worker or worker representative can file a complaint
about a safety or health hazard

4th Programmed Inspections:

Cover industries and employers with high injury and
illness rates, specific hazards, or other exposures.
 Intro to OSHA

VIOLATION TYPE PENALTY

WILLFUL OSHA may propose penalties of up to
A violation that the employer intentionally and knowingly $70,000 for each willful violation, with
commits or a violation that the employer commits with plain a minimum penalty of $5,000 for each
indifference to the law. willful violation.

SERIOUS
There is a mandatory penalty for
A violation where there is substantial probability that death
serious violations which may be up to
or serious physical harm could result and that the employer
$7,000.
knew, or should have known, of the hazard.

OTHER-THAN-SERIOUS
OSHA may propose a penalty of up to
A violation that has a direct relationship to safety and health,
$7,000 for each other-than-serious
but probably would not cause death or serious physical
violation.
harm.

REPEATED OSHA may propose penalties of up to

A violation that is the same or similar to a previous violation. $70,000 for each repeated violation.
 Intro to OSHA

• Download the OSHA-7 form from OSHA’s website

• File the complaint online
– Workers can file a complaint
– A worker representative can file a complaint
• Telephone or visit local regional or area offices to discuss your
concerns
• Complete the form – be specific and include appropriate
details
• OSHA determines if an inspection is necessary
• Workers do not have to reveal their name
 Intro to OSHA

This lesson covered:

• The importance of OSHA, including the history of safety and
health regulation leading to the creation of OSHA and OSHA’s
mission;
• Worker rights under OSHA;
• Employer responsibilities;
• OSHA standards;
• OSHA inspections; and
• Safety and health resources, including how to file a complaint.