Final answer:
OSHA enforces safety regulations referred to as standards, which are comprehensive rules to protect workers from workplace hazards. The OSHA standards cover a variety of safety aspects and their enforcement involves inspections and fines for non-compliance.
Step-by-step explanation:
OSHA adopts and enforces safety regulations known as standards. These standards are designed to protect workers from a wide range of hazards in the workplace, such as fall protection, trenching cave-ins, exposure to infectious diseases, confined spaces, harmful chemicals, machinery guards, respiratory equipment, and job-specific safety training. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) grants OSHA the authority to issue these workplace health and safety regulations. Additionally, employers must comply with the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act, which requires keeping workplaces free of serious recognized hazards.
Before issuing a new standard, OSHA must undertake an extensive process that includes public engagement, notice, and comment, verifying that a significant risk to workers exists and that there are feasible measures employers can implement to protect their workers. OSHA is also responsible for enforcing the standards through inspections and can assess fines for non-compliance.