Occupational Safety and Health Act

This act was created in the year 1970 when it was realized that there were so many accidents going on in the working place. Employees with the knowledge of how OSHA functions and its benefits, feels secure and confident in the working place. The main role was to give a safer working place for the employees. OSHA was also enacted to respond to the increasing number of accidents that often occurred in the working place. The rules are well stipulated such that they have helped employees to work in a hazard- free condition as they are assured of a safer working environment (Daniels 267). All businesses have an obligation to follow the required guidelines provided by OSHA. Any person found going against the set rules may be bound to pay a fine or be punished. It is, therefore, vital for both the employee and the employer to know the rules and the regulations of OSHA. They are also required to comply with the general duty clause. A penalty is given to anyone who does not follow the clause. It is for the benefit of the business and managers should encourage employees to follow the guidelines to work in a safe environment. This does not only help the employee but the employer too in that he will not incur extra cost of taking care of injured employees. The employer also makes a rational decision if he follows the rules of OSHA because it is economical and the employer will be saved from undergoing extra cost that are mostly caused while undergoing the legal process.

The organization is also in a better position to save themselves from the agony of training a new person for the job if the other employee is on his sick off. Standard 29 CFR clearly stipulates all the rules and the repercussions if one does not obey the rules. OSHA explains in details how businesses in chemical, lumbering and construction industries should be maintained. It even goes further by explaining how the injuries should be recorded. This should be known by both the employee and the employers so that the information provided in records are not defied. The rules clearly mention the inspection process (Roughton 65). Different injuries have different compensation in that the injury caused by a needle is not the same as that sharp injury caused by a cutting machine. The rules of OSHA also explain that when handling workers in the same working place, there should be no discrimination. All employees should be treated equally. The machine must be inspected before being handled by the workers. This is just to ensure that the chances of injuries are reduced. Those with default must not be used at any given time. Complicated machines should have a clearly defined procedure of how to handle them. The employee should not forget that the employer has lawyers and they will not be compensated incase of ignorance or their own carelessness.

OSHA was initially criticized by most people during its introduction process. This is because, after the civil war, the government of America ignored most regulations and used laisserz - fair policy (Daniels 214). This was just to make their economy grow so fast. After the war, the economy had deteriorated and the government ignored the policy just to make the economy improve. People used to work in an extremely harsh condition and worked for so many hours yet paid less. This benefited both the small and the vast businesses as they were making more profits yet make the employees work in dangerous conditions. OSHA, however, has critics that have been brought about by people that it only follows cases if employees who died in their duties. They do not actually follow the cases of the injured employees making them continue suffering silently. OSHA has also been accused of being so much concerned with the inspection process and end up ignoring the actual safety of the employees.
Benefits of OSHA

Financial benefits are one of the main importances of implementing the rules in any business. OSHA brings to the realization of most organizations that it is better to control accidents than to cure them. Accidents may make the employer less sufficient after the accident due to the tremor. The employer can also decide to destroy the name of the organization when he is captured by the press (Caldart 54). This will send a message to the public that the organization does not take care of their employee, thus destroying their reputation. Company name is particularly influential and should be maintained with a unusually high profile whatever the cost. This is vital as it attracts more customers thus improving sales. The rules also make the organization purchase standardized equipments. This as much as it may look humbly in the initial cost, it is cost effective and last longer compared to the other cheap commodities in the market. They last for a short term and are not efficient in its functioning. This makes the employer keep on repairing so as to make it perform thus wastes more time and more money. The rate of accidents is lowered when these rules are implemented (Roughton 98). Health and safety are managed by the use of OSHA. This attracts more workers in the organization as they feel that their lives have been secured. Harmony is improved in most organizations that use the system. Employers are given sufficient training on how best to handle their tools and equipments.

The authority for OSHA gave its employees all the power to go into any organization and inspect the facilities that are normally used in their daily running of the business. It, however, faces few challenges like few personnel thus the people are not able to inspect frequently on the running of the businesses. They Target only those facilities that have a high risk of causing danger in the organization. The most common is the availability of a fire extinguisher in a manufacturing company. All the manufacturing companies are expected to have this devise just to protect workers in case of fire. The management is also supposed to ensure that the workers are trained on how to use the device incase of danger. OSHA conducts their inspections randomly. They can program to visit for their inspection or they can decide to visit without notice. This normally happens if they feel that some of the standards have been violated by the company.

In normal circumstances, OHSA do not give notice to the company of their visit. Incase the organization is informed, they may stand a risk of paying a penalty. OSHA in most cases is known and never provides identity, but if the employer feels that they should give identity, then they have to provide the identity depending on the Fourth Amendment Right. OSHA provides a requirement that anyone who is in business that is generating profit has to abide by its rules. This is for the benefit of both employees and the employer. The employer will save himself the enormous expenses that are normally incurred when an employee decides to sue the employer. The employee will enjoy the privilege of fair working conditions thus perform much better.