1. Introduction

OSHA standards provide a description of the methods that employers must utilize to protect their employees from workplace hazards.

• Thesis Statement - OSHA enables employers to measure their workplaces' safety, comprehend industry dangers, and put in place necessary measures to eliminate and reduce the threats, preventing workplace illnesses and injuries that may occur in the future.

2. Main Purpose of OSHA regarding employees

To assure healthful and safe working conditions by implementing and enforcing standards and improving compliance assistance, education, and outreach.

3. Case Study

The scenario is recordable under OSHA because an event in the workplace environment contributed to the injury.

The scenario is not recordable under OSHA because the fight occurred before the official employee reporting time.

4. Employer's rights and responsibilities under OSHA

To provide safety training to the employees

To keep an accurate record of work-related injuries and illnesses

To refrain from retaliating against workers for using their rights under the law

5. Conclusion

OSHA is important as it maintains employees' well-being and health, which is a crucial aspect of their job satisfaction and motivation.

 

Introduction

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards provide a description of the methods that employers must utilize to protect their employees from workplace risks. These standards cover maritime operations, construction work, and general industry. They require employers to conduct monitoring of workplace hazards and keep records of illness and injuries. Additionally, these standards require employers to utilize safe equipment and practices and limit the amount of harmful chemicals exposed to employees. Some of the OSHA standards include providing fall protection, preventing infectious diseases, providing training for dangerous work, and ensuring that employees enter closed spaces safely. OSHA enables employers to measure their workplaces’ safety, comprehend industry dangers, and put in place necessary measures to eliminate and reduce the threats, preventing workplace illnesses and injuries that may occur in the future. This paper, as such, includes the purpose of OSHA regarding employees and an evaluation of the case study. A discussion on the rights and responsibilities of employers under OSHA follows.

Purpose of OSHA regarding Employees

OSHA was implemented in 1970 by the United States Congress to promote a safe working environment for employees (United States Department of Labor, 2020). One of the happenings that resulted in the formation of OSHA was the 1911 fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company that resulted in 146 fatalities. Therefore, regarding employees, OSHA’s fundamental purpose is to assure healthful and safe working conditions by implementing and enforcing standards and improving compliance assistance, education, and outreach. To achieve their purpose, OSHA gives employees the freedom to receive necessary training concerning various hazards in the workplace, the preventive measures, and the OSHA standards applying to their workplace. OSHA also gives employees the right to confidentially submit a written grievance requesting the agency to carry out an inspection of their workplace if there are grave hazards or if their employers do not adhere to the OSHA standards. To ensure the standards are complied with and the safety of employees maintained, OSHA conducts inspections without prior notice (United States Department of Labor, 2020).

The agency utilizes facsimile, telephone, and on-site investigations that highly qualified compliance officers perform. The investigations are planned on the basis of impending hazards, disasters, work referrals, and follow-up and targeted inspections. When the investigators detect serious dangers or violations of the OSHA standards, OSHA may issue fines or citations. According to the United States Department of Labor (2020), a citation consists of employers’ methods to fix problems and the date by which the corrective actions have to be finished. These actions, therefore, ensures that the agency upholds its primary purpose of assuring workplace safety to all employees. OSHA’s health and safety standards, including blood-borne pathogens, lead, benzene, machine guarding, trenching, cotton dust, and fall protection, have prevented numerous workplace fatalities, illnesses, and injuries. Therefore, in the future, OSHA has a commitment to protecting workers from risks and poisonous chemicals, guaranteeing that those vulnerable workers in high-risk jobs have access to important information concerning job hazards.

Case Study

According to the United States Department of Labor (2021), illnesses or injuries are considered related to work if exposure or a happening in the workplace environment contributed to or caused the illness or injury. In the scenario, the fight between Mike and Sean resulted from an argument about an unfair workplace promotion. The cause of the fight, therefore, is an event in the work environment. Sean suffered fractures and tore his rotator cuff as a result of the fight. Therefore, this scenario would be recordable under OSHA. Furthermore, Sean misses a day of work due to the sustained injuries. This scenario would be, as such, recordable under OSHA. According to the United States Department of Labor (2021), injuries that lead to days away from work due to a disagreement between workers inside a company are recordable. On the other hand, this scenario would not be recordable under OSHA because of the Recordkeeping Rule. The rule comprises no exceptions unless it occurs under certain situations. As such, one is not required to record illness or injuries if they occur because of an employee undertaking tasks at the establishment outside of the working hours that have been assigned. In this scenario, Sean sustains his injuries at 8 am while the official employee reporting time is 8:30 am. For this reason, therefore, the case is not recordable under OSHA.

Employer’s Rights and Responsibilities under OSHA

Employers have the responsibility of providing a safe workplace for every employee (United States Department of Labor, 2021). They have to provide their workers with an environment free of health risks and follow OSHA health and safety standards. In regard to the scenario, one responsibility that the employer has is to provide safety training to the employees in an understandable language. Training is a crucial part of protecting employees from illnesses and injuries. OSHA’s standard on employee training states that “The employer shall instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his work environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury” (United States Department of Labor, 2021). This will, therefore, prevent future fights between employees. The next employer’s responsibility, in this scenario, is to keep an accurate record of work-related injuries and illnesses. In this case, Sean sustained a work-related injury and his employer, as such, has the duty to keep the record of the events that led up to his injury. Record keeping is essential because it will inform the employer about illnesses and injuries in the workplace. Another employer’s responsibility is to refrain from retaliating against workers for utilizing their rights under the law. In this scenario, Sean has the right to report his injury without discrimination. Therefore, the employer has the duty to refrain from laying him off, reducing his pay, or denying him a promotion.

Conclusion

Implemented by the United States Congress in 1970, OSHA’s main objective is to assure healthful and safe working conditions for all employees. Therefore, the agency aims to develop job safety through on-site inspections, the maintenance of a report and recordkeeping system that tracks workplace-related illness and injuries, and providing training programs to elevate employers’ and employees’ levels of knowledge about occupational health and safety. The well-being and health of employees is a crucial aspect of their job satisfaction and motivation. This aspect influences retention and productivity. Therefore, multi-stakeholder initiatives, including national policy advocacy and professional councils’ involvement, can aid in facilitating OSHA risk reductions. These initiatives will assure the safety of all employees. As such, OSHA enables employers to measure their workplaces’ safety, comprehend industry dangers, and put in place necessary measures to eliminate and reduce the dangers, preventing workplace illnesses and injuries that may occur in the future.