Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

On December 29, 1970, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which led to the introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor whose strategic and operational activities are the responsibility of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor. OSHA's aim is to “develop and enforce workplace safety and health regulations.”

The signing of the act occurred among growing alarm at then-current occupational health and safety statistics; 14,000 health and safety fatalities, 2.5 million work-related disabilities, and 300,000 emerging reports of work-related illnesses. Both domestically and internationally, these figures were considered morally unacceptable and reflected badly on the administration at that time.

OSHA is recognized throughout the United States as “the resource” for occupational ...