OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) is a government agency that is within the department of labor. OSHA is accountable for setting, supporting and implementing the standards to ensure that the employees have the safe workplace. Under OSHA many employees or employers or workers are covered. To know them in detail go through the following information.
OSHA coverages
OSHA standards cover most of the employees. But, there are also a few employees or workers that are not covered under OSHA. The details are as follows:
Private sector employers and their employees – Most of the workers or employees in the nation come under OSHA’s territory, and it covers most of the employers and employees either through the federal OSHA or through the state authorized OSHA plan. The safety and health plans that are run by the state must be at least as effective as federal OSHA program. You can contact OSHA office for more information.
Local government and state workers – Employees who are working under a state or local government are not covered under Federal OSHA. But, they will have the OSHA Act protection, if they are working in the states which have OSHA approved plan for that state. Not all states have this OSHA approved state occupational safety and health programs; and this differs from state to state in a country. So, make sure whether your state has the OSHA program or not.
Federal government workers – Federal agencies should have the safety and health program that meets the standards identical as the private employers. OSHA monitors the federal agencies and responds to the complaints of the workers, though it doesn’t fine the federal agencies.
Employers or employees not covered under OSHA – OSHA will not recognize some employees to be covered under this act. Some of them are – self-employed individuals and close family members of the farm employers. There are also some workplaces that are exempted, including places of employment where federal agencies set some working conditions like mining, nuclear energy fields etc. This also include the state and local governments which doesn’t have OSHA approved health and safety programs.
These are the areas that OSHA covers or doesn’t cover. So, every employer and employee must be aware of these facts, if they are part of a business or an organization. If you are covered under this act, you will have several rights and responsibilities.