Final answer:
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 does indeed require employers to annually educate their employees about workplace hazards, as part of their duty to maintain a safe working environment. This includes training, providing essential personal protective equipment, and communicating about safety in a language the workers can understand.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires employers to educate employees annually on the hazards they may face in their workplace is considered true. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that employers provide a safe working environment, which includes educating their employees about workplace hazards. This means workers must be informed about dangers and should be properly trained to handle these risks. Employers are responsible for conducting training programs and ensuring employees understand the safety measures in place.
Employers must also keep accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses, perform required workplace testing such as air sampling, provide necessary personal protective equipment at no cost to workers, and conduct medical tests as prescribed by OSHA standards. In addition, they must notify OSHA promptly in case of serious workplace incidents. Significantly, this education is not only about informing but also about training employees in a language and vocabulary they can comprehend, enhancing the effectiveness of the communication.
The act not only promotes safety through proactive measures like eliminating or reducing hazards but also through reactive measures, such as reporting and addressing incidents. Thus, the educational aspect of the OSHA requirements plays a critical role in maintaining workplace safety and health standards.