preview

OSHA Compliance

Decent Essays

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was signed into law as an agency of the United States Department of Labor on December 29, 1970 by President Nixon. Their mission is to set and enforce standards to assure a safe and healthful workplace which employers are responsible for providing. By providing training, outreach, and education, OSHA ensures the safety precautions are in place for a workplace. Two provisions are key components for the employers’ responsibility to comply with OSHA. General duty requires that the employer has a general duty to provide safe and healthy working conditions, including areas where OSHA standards have not been set. Employers can be cited if they knew of unsafe or unhealthy conditions, by violating the general duty clause. Notification and posters are required to inform employees of safety and health standards and should be placed in prominent areas for viewing
Employers are required to have a detailed annual record of the various types on injuries, accidents, …show more content…

In Marshall v. Barlow’s Inc, the U.S. Supreme Court held that safety inspectors must produce a search warrant if an employer refuses to allow an inspection of the workplace voluntarily. The court also ruled that an inspector does not have to show probable cause to obtain a search warrant. A warrant can be obtained easily if a search is part of a general enforcement plan. When a compliance officer arrives, managers should ask to see the inspector’s credentials to assure they are indeed with OSHA. The inspection officer may request that an employee or company representative be present while the inspection is conducted. A citation may be issued depending on the severity and degree of the problem and if the employer has knowledge of the issue. Depending on the nature and number of violations, penalties can be assessed against

Get Access