Final answer:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is instrumental in regulating, investigating, and enforcing safety and health standards in the workplace to ensure a safe working environment for employees.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to ensure safe and healthful working conditions by setting, regulating, investigating, and enforcing safety and health standards in work locations. OSHA is responsible for:
- Regulating safety and health standards in workplaces, which include setting limits on exposure to hazardous chemicals and enforcing the use of personal protective equipment.
- Investigating workplaces to ensure compliance with the safety and health regulations and to identify any potential hazards to workers.
- Enforcing the established standards and taking action against employers who do not comply with these regulations, which might include issuing citations, fines, or other penalties.
OSHA also provides a range of services such as training, outreach, education, and assistance to support employers and employees in maintaining a safe work environment. Additionally, they keep accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses, perform necessary tests (like air sampling), and require that employers provide certain critical safety measures such as fall protection and adequate machine guarding to prevent workplace injuries and fatalities.