OSHA Compliance

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According to the United States Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) primary strategic goal is "focusing on actively promoting safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by: setting and enforcing workplace safety and health standards; delivering effective enforcement; providing outreach, education and compliance assistance; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health" (Walter, 2010).

OSHA works to support the Department of Labor's mission to improve "health and welfare of American workers, job seekers and retirees by improving working conditions, advancing opportunities for profitable employment" (United States Department of Labor, n/d). In order to measure results, OSHA uses workplace fatality rates among employees as well as occupational injury and illness rates. It measures these figures in correlation with the number of workplaces in the U.S. and the amount of workers. OSHA acknowledges that some occupations and industries, like construction and manufacturing, will have higher incidences based on the nature of the work. OSHA has also identified four leading causes of workplace fatalities (falls, electrocutions, caught in or between, and struck by) to focus on and is increasing the number of targeted hazards that are consider problems in the workplace.

In order to accomplish its goals, OSHA plans on "strengthening enforcement capabilities by targeting the most egregious and persistent violators", strengthening regulatory capabilities, increasing OSHA's presence in the workplace, protecting workers in high-hazard occupations (like construction), and protecting vulnerable and hard to reach worker populations like youth, elderly, and immigrants (Walter, 2010). OSHA plans to review and restructure penalties to make sure penalties are consistent with the seriousness of the ...