Final answer:
Employers are required by OSHA to have written safety plans that address a range of workplace hazards and regulatory requirements, ensure the provision of safety equipment and training, and eliminate or reduce hazards. OSHA enforces standards through inspections and employers must comply by keeping records and providing necessary equipment free of charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the OSHA Standard, employers must have written safety plans to address various workplace hazards and comply with regulatory requirements. These safety plans may include, but are not limited to, providing fall protection, preventing trenching cave-ins, preventing exposure to infectious diseases, ensuring the safety of workers who enter confined spaces, preventing exposure to harmful chemicals, putting guards on machines, providing respirators and other safety equipment, and offering training for dangerous jobs in understandable language.
OSHA is authorized to enforce compliance with these standards through inspections and can assess fines for violations. Inspections may be prompted by incidents, complaints, or the nature of the industry. Employers are also responsible for keeping records of workplace injuries and illnesses, providing personal protective equipment at no cost, and conducting medical tests as required by OSHA standards.
Employers must also make efforts to eliminate or reduce workplace hazards through feasible changes, and if personal protective equipment is necessary, it must be provided free of charge to workers. They must inform workers about chemical hazards, maintain safety records, and prominently display the OSHA Job Safety and Health - It's the law poster.