In 1970, the year before Congress passed the OSH Act, an estimated 14,000 workers were killed on the job in the US. By 2010, that number was reduced to just over 4,000, despite the near doubling of the US workforce over that same period. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in 1971 to ensure safe working conditions. It sets and enforces safety standards and provides training, outreach, education, and assistance for business and workers. In the Handbook of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, author Mark Moran presents all the necessary information on OSHA for students, scholars, professionals and managers. It begins with a history of OSHA, from its founding to the present, highlighting key events and important dates. In this section, it examines OSHA's mission statement to explore the reason for its founding and its original focus. The book then moves on to treat OSHA's organization and function, explaining in detail how OSHA regulates work conditions in the US, and how business managers and professionals should navigate it.
Finally, the book presents an in-depth look at the key figures-OSHA's budget, important statistics, successes and failures, and trends for the future of the administration. The book also includes appendices on the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission and the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health and a glossary of key terms.