Osha's Legal History: When Did It Become Law?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, also known as the Williams-Steiger Act, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970. The Act established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within the Labor Department to set and enforce workplace safety and health standards. OSHA opened its doors on April 28, 1971, and during its first decade, it issued the first standards for asbestos, lead, carcinogens, and cotton dust. The Act's main goal is to ensure employers provide employees with an environment free from recognized hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, and unsanitary conditions.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law by President Nixon on December 29, 1970

On December 29, 1970, President Richard Nixon signed The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, also known as the Williams-Steiger Act, into law. The Act was the result of a hard-fought legislative battle, which began in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson unsuccessfully sought a similar measure.

The Act established three permanent agencies: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within the Labor Department to set and enforce workplace safety and health standards; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in what was then the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to conduct research on occupational safety and health; and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), an independent agency to adjudicate enforcement actions challenged by employers.

The Act's main goal is to ensure that employers provide employees with an environment free from recognised hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions.

The Act was enacted to address the rising number and severity of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States. In the decade prior to the Act's enactment, disabling injuries had increased by 20%, and 14,000 workers were dying on the job each year.

The Act's passage was also prompted by the emergence of new chemical compounds in the manufacturing environment, the health effects of which were poorly understood. Workers received few protections against prolonged or high levels of exposure to these chemicals.

The Act was signed into law on December 29, 1970, and went into effect on April 28, 1971.

The Act established three permanent agencies: OSHA, NIOSH, and OSHRC

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) established three permanent agencies: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC).

The OSH Act is administered by OSHA, which opened its doors on April 28, 1971, and is responsible for setting and enforcing safety and health standards for most private sector employers and their employees in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other US territories. The Act assigns OSHA two regulatory functions: setting standards and conducting inspections to ensure employers are providing safe and healthy workplaces.

NIOSH, established within the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for conducting research, experiments, and demonstrations relating to occupational safety and health, including the development of criteria for new and improved occupational safety and health standards. NIOSH also provides training and education programs to provide a supply of qualified personnel to carry out the purposes of the Act.

The OSHRC is an independent agency that conducts reviews and hearings related to OSHA citations and penalties. The Commission is composed of three members appointed by the President, with one member designated as Chairman, and is responsible for carrying out adjudicatory functions under the Act.

The Act covers employers in the private sector and federal government

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) covers employers in the private sector and federal government in the United States. The Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970, and went into effect on April 28, 1971.

The OSH Act defines an employer as:

> any "person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees, but does not include the United States or any state or political subdivision of a State."

This means that the Act covers employers as diverse as manufacturers, construction companies, law firms, hospitals, charities, labor unions, and private schools. Churches and other religious organizations are covered if they employ workers for secular purposes.

The Act does not cover the self-employed, family farms, workplaces covered by other federal laws (such as mining, nuclear weapons manufacture, railroads, and airlines), and state and local governments (unless state law permits otherwise). However, the Act does cover federal agencies and the United States Postal Service.

The OSH Act was established to ensure that employers provide employees with an environment free from recognized hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions. Under the Act, employers have the responsibility to:

• Maintain conditions or adopt practices reasonably necessary and appropriate to protect workers on the job;
• Be familiar with and comply with standards applicable to their establishments; and
• Ensure that employees have and use personal protective equipment when required for safety and health.

To assist employers in meeting these obligations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created as an agency within the Department of Labor. OSHA is responsible for setting and enforcing workplace health and safety standards.

In addition to OSHA, the OSH Act also established the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as an independent research institute within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). NIOSH is responsible for conducting research on occupational safety and health and developing criteria for recommended standards.

Through the OSH Act, Congress intended to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for all working men and women in the nation and to preserve the country's human resources.

The Act defines an employer as any person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, also known as the OSH Act, was signed into law by President Nixon on December 29, 1970, and enacted on April 28, 1971. The Act established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which opened its doors on the same day as its enactment.

The Act defines an employer as:

> a person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees, but does not include the United States (not including the United States Postal Service) or any State or political subdivision of a State.

The Act's definition of an employer is similar to that of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which defines an employer as:

> any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee.

The OSH Act's definition of an employee is also similar to that of the FLSA, which defines an employee as:

> any individual employed by an employer.

The OSH Act's definition of "commerce" is:

> trade, traffic, commerce, transportation, or communication among the several States; or between a State and any place outside thereof; or within the District of Columbia, or a possession of the United States (other than the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands), or between points in the same State but through a point outside thereof.

The Act's definition of "person" is:

> one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, business trusts, legal representatives, or any organized group of persons.

The OSH Act was enacted to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women. It achieves this by:

• Authorizing the enforcement of standards developed under the Act
• Assisting and encouraging States in their efforts to ensure safe and healthy working conditions
• Providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health

The Act also establishes the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, which carries out adjudicatory functions.

The Act excludes the self-employed, family farms, and workplaces covered by other federal laws

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was signed into law by President Nixon on December 29, 1970, and enacted on April 28, 1971. The OSH Act applies to all employers and their employees in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. However, the Act excludes the self-employed, family farms, and workplaces covered by other federal laws.

The OSH Act excludes the self-employed, family members of farm employees, and volunteers from its coverage. The Act also excludes workplaces covered by other federal laws, such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Transportation's Coast Guard agency.

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