What the Law Says
As detailed in the Section 5 (The General Duty Clause) of the OSHA Act of 1970, the employer is assigned responsibility and held accountable to maintain a safe and healthful workplace. The following is an excerpt from Public Law 91-596, 91st Congress, S. 2193, December 29, 1970.
Section 5
(a) Each Employer -
- (1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;
- (2) shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this act.
Employer Accountability
Employers can be cited by OSHA for a violation of the General Duty Clause if a recognized serious hazard exists in their workplace and the employer does not take reasonable steps to prevent or abate the hazard. The General Duty Clause is used only where there is no standard that applies to the particular hazard.
Supervisors: Agents of the Employer
A key concept to understand is that legally, supervisors are "agents of the employer," and assume the responsibilities of the employer to the degree they are given authority. This first module discusses some of the basic employer and supervisor obligations to employees under OSHA law. Fulfilling these obligations is a key requirement of effective safety supervision.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-2. Under the OSH Act, employers must keep workplaces free of _____.
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