The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 The Occupational Safety and Health Act was drafted on December 29, 1970 and signed by former President Richard M. Nixon. In general, the OSH Act covers all employers and their employees in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories (national). OSHA was enacted to "assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women." It has been scarcely amended or modified since its enactment. The main roles of OSHA are: ·         Setting safety and health standards in the workplace ·         Enforcement through federal and state inspectors ·         Public education and consultation through the workplace The OSH Act focuses on the safety and health of workers rather than the protection of animals and their surrounding environment.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration The OSH Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the federal level and provided that states could run their own safety and health programs as long as those programs were at least as effective as the federal program. Enforcement and administration of the OSH Act in states under federal jurisdiction is handled primarily by OSHA. Part of the urge to weaken the laws of the OSH Act is that the OSH Administration regulations tend to be quite burdensome and sometimes difficult to follow. However, OSHA has resulted in significant safety measure changes in different workplaces. For example, OSHA guidelines for the disposal of sharps (used needles) have now made hospital workers much less prone to the contraction of grave illnesses such as hepatitis and HIV. OSHA also has a comprehensive approach to ergonomics designed to quickly and effectively address musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace.