Final answer:
OSHA, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, is the only entity that can grant exemptions to its standards. Employers can seek variances but must prove their alternative methods are as safe as or safer than OSHA's regulations. Congress has the power to influence OSHA through legislation but does not grant exemptions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The only entity that can grant exemptions to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards is the agency itself, which is a part of the United States Department of Labor.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 29, 1970, gives OSHA the authority to promulgate and enforce workplace health and safety regulations.
Employers can apply for variances from OSHA if they can prove that their methods provide workers with protections equivalent to or better than the protections provided by the standard.
OSHA's regulations encompass a broad range of protections, including but not limited to fall protection, prevention of exposure to hazardous substances, and requirements for safety in confined spaces.
Employers must comply with these regulations and are also mandated by law to maintain work environments free from serious recognized hazards, following the General Duty Clause when no specific standard applies. Although Congress can influence OSHA regulations through legislation, as seen in the repeal of the ergonomics standard in 2001, it does not grant exemptions to standards.