Final answer:
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires workplaces to be free from hazards and created OSHA to enforce safety standards. Employers must follow OSHA regulations, provide training and protective equipment, and keep records of workplace incidents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The act that requires workplaces to maintain an environment that is "free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm" is the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). This legislation establishes the foundation upon which workplace safety standards are built, creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to oversee and enforce these standards. Employers are mandated to keep their workplaces free of serious recognized hazards and must follow all OSHA safety and health standards, which includes providing necessary safety training in a language workers can understand, offering personal protective equipment at no cost, and ensuring conditions that reduce the risk of harm, such as proper ventilation, fall protection, and guarding machinery.
Moreover, the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act plays a crucial role when no specific OSHA standard applies to a hazard. It broadly requires employers to ensure their workplaces are safe. The significance of the OSHA standards is not just in setting benchmarks for physical safety but also encompasses employers' responsibilities like informing workers about chemical hazards, keeping accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses, and conducting necessary workplace tests.