OSHA Personal Safety

Significance

OSHA was created in 1970 when the U.S. Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The mission of OSHA is to ensure that the safety and health of all American workers is protected. OSHA establishes and enforces regulations pertaining to safe working environments and provides for educational opportunities through outreach programs, training and aid. OSHA is a part of the Department of Labor; the Secretary of Labor is on the President’s Cabinet.

Before OSHA was established, there were no standard guidelines for worker safety and no enforcement or accountability when injuries occurred. Injuries were not reported across broad spectrums and were not studied in hopes of preventing similar accidents. OSHA has evolved since it was established, but "more than 5,000 people continue to die on the job in America every year," according to Jordan Barab, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, in 2009. Following terrorist attacks and weather-related disasters, OSHA expanded its role in emergency preparedness and response.

While OSHA looks toward the role that employers play in keeping employees safe, training is required at all levels so that employees learn to recognize safe and unsafe conditions, know how and to whom to report problems and know how to safely perform their jobs. “Modern unions put a high priority on organizing [the] tools, the training and the knowledge they need to prevent injuries and improve performance,” says Barab. The OSHA website plays a huge role in personal safety by allowing employees direct access to information.

Personal safety is doing what you can to keep yourself and those around you safe. OSHA standards aimed at businesses can easily be used in the home. Babysitters, for instance, should know where a home’s emergency exits are in case of fire, should know where and how to reach the parent and should remain alert at all times. Children who are old enough to be left home alone should have emergency contact information and know what to do should a fire break out or someone tries to break in.

Making sure a child has a bike helmet on is one way to address personal safety at home.safety image by anna karwowska from Fotolia.com

Know your surroundings; be alert to things out of place or possible danger. Keep doors locked at home or in a car. Notify the police if you spot someone acting suspiciously. Know where the phone is and how to get to it in an emergency. Locate the first-aid kit and home fire extinguisher; take a class or look for information on the Internet if you are not comfortable using them.