History

• The OSHA Act was instituted in response to the amount of workers suffering from occupational injuries and illness. Such injuries and illness often led to unfair treatment of affected workers, and became costly to employers and the government.
  
  

Function

• The OSHA Act regulates safety standards in the workplace, aiming to decrease occupational injuries and illness.
  
  

Features

• The OSHA Act includes: mandated health and safety standards for employers; procedures for enforcement; penalty explanations; and employee education and training resources.
  
  

Benefits

• With the OSHA Act, employers had safety standards to meet, creating a safer work environment. Employees had less exposure to risks in the workplace.
  
  

Oversight

• The OSHA Act led to the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responsible for updating, amending and enforcing the standards of the OSHA Act.