OSHA and the EPA: Your "Support Staff"
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For anyone under 50, it may seem as though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have always existed. However, both government agencies were independently created in 1970, to keep the American people safer and healthier on the job, and to protect human health and the environment on a broad scale.
OSHA helps keep workers safe by creating and enforcing workplace standards, and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance to employers. Part of the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA covers most private sector employers and their workers, as well as some public sector employers and workers in the 50 states, and certain territories and jurisdictions under federal authority. OSHA regulations cover a wide range of employee protection, including:- Hazardous chemicals
- Indoor air quality
- Personal protective equipment
- Workplace violence
- Wages, hours worked, and workers' compensation
- Sanitation (restrooms and drinking water)
- All Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work;
- National efforts to reduce environmental risk are based on the best available scientific information;
- Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are enforced fairly and effectively;
- Environmental protection is an integral consideration in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade;
- All parts of society communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks;
- Environmental protection contributes to making our communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable and economically productive;
- The U.S. plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.