The health and safety of employees has become a major concern in
the workplace for many employers. Job-related injuries,
sickness, or death not only costs companies' thousands of
dollars in lost productivity, but they can cause grief, pain,
and undue hardship to workers and their families. To help
eliminate illnesses, injuries, and deaths from occurring in the
workplace, several federal and state laws have established basic
workplace safety and health standards to protect employees and
their families. The main and most important of these laws is the
Occupational and Safety Health Act, or OSHA (O-S-H-A). Under the
act, employers are required to maintain workplace facilities
that meet basic standards of safety and health. If they don't
meet those standards, they must adopt certain practices or
methods reasonably necessary to protect workers on the job.
Generally, it's the responsibility of employers to become
familiar with OSHA standards and to comply with those
regulations. Compliance may include eliminating h