Sanitarium

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the US State Department of Labor. The agency is headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor. OSHA was created by congress under the Occupational Safety and Health Act signed by President Nixon in 1970.
The mission of OSHA is to help prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and occupational fatalities by issuing and enforcing health and safety standards in the workplace. OSHA’s federal regulations cover most private sector workplaces. Therefore the OSH Act allows for states to develop their own plans to cover the public employment sector, as long as it provides equivalent protection to that provided by the federal government to the private sector. In return, the federal government pays 20% of the cost for states that have had their plans approved by OSHA.
OSHA’s most notable regulation changes in the last 40 years include:
•Guards on all moving parts (1970)
•Permissible exposure limits (based on standards from 1968): maximum concentrations of chemicals stipulated by regulation for chemicals and dusts
•Personal protective equipment: broader use of respirators, gloves, coveralls, and other protective equipment when handling hazardous chemicals; including goggles, face shields, ear protection in typical industrial environments
•Lockout/tagout (1980s): requirement for locking out energy sources when performing repairs or maintenance
•Confined space (1990s): specific requirements for air sampling and use of “buddy system” when working in small, confined spaces
•Hazard Communication (1983): aka “Right to Know” standard which requires developing and communicating information on the hazards of chemical products used in the workplace
•Process Safety Management (1992): issued as an attempt to reduce large scale industrial accidents. In this situation, process refers to any activity that is in reference to dealing with highly hazardous chemicals in the workplace
•Bloodborne pathogens (1990): a standard designed to prevent healthcare/ other workers from being exposed to bloodborne pathogens, i.e. hepatitis B and HIV
•Excavations and trenches: OSHA requires that any trench or excavations wherein workers are more than five feet deep must be provided with safeguards in addition to proper sloping and storage of excavated material to prevent collapses/cave-ins
•Exposure to asbestos

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