Final answer:
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established OSHA, which ensures safe workplaces through regulations and standards that protect workers from hazards, including setting maximum chemical exposure limits and imposing duties on employers to maintain a safe work environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is a crucial legislation that created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA's role is to regulate and ensure that workplaces are safe for employees, devoid of serious hazards. It has the authority to establish health and safety standards, including setting maximum exposure limits for hazardous chemicals to protect workers from physical harm.
Under these regulations, employers have responsibilities including informing workers about potential hazards, providing necessary training and equipment to mitigate these risks, and correctly labeling hazardous chemicals. Moreover, OSHA standards ensure that employers take proactive measures by finding and correcting safety and health problems, first attempting to eliminate or reduce hazards through changes in working conditions, such as using safer chemicals or installing ventilation systems, before relying on personal protective equipment.
Additionally, OSHA standards cover a spectrum of workplace safety aspects including fall protection, trenching cave-ins prevention, safe use of machinery, and protection against infectious diseases and harmful chemicals. Employers must also follow the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act when no specific standard applies.