Occupational Safety and Health Act

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) includes a “general duty clause” that requires virtually all employers to maintain a workplace that is free from recognized hazards that would cause injury or death to employees. Most employers must comply with OSHA workplace safety and health standards that apply to their workplaces. OSHA requires employers to maintain a log of certain injuries and illnesses, report certain deaths and multiple hospitalizations and post supplementary records on an annual basis. Employers may not discharge employees who refuse to do a job that, by their reasonable apprehension, places them at risk of injury or exposes them to a hazardous workplace condition. The standards are voluminous, and may be obtained from the Government Printing Office.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Civil penalties up to $1,000 for individual violations; up to $10,000 for repeated and willful violations; back pay and reinstatement for employees who suffered discrimination.

Source: Society for Human Resource Management