Final answer:
The identification of workplace hazards is a multifaceted approach involving risk assessments, training, proper equipment, and adherence to OSHA and OHSA standards. Employers are responsible for minimizing exposure to hazardous materials like phosphorous and must train and provide workers with necessary safety measures while OSHA enforces compliance with these standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best method of identifying workplace hazards involves a combination of strategies, including regular workplace risk assessments, employee training and education, the use of safety equipment, and adherence to safety regulations. Identifying conditions that exposed workers to phosphorous in industrial workplaces would have entailed air sampling and ensuring proper ventilation systems to clean the air of harmful fumes. Employers could have prevented exposure to phosphorous by substituting safer chemicals, enclosing processes, or upgrading ventilation systems. However, some employers might not have provided safer working conditions due to the costs involved, lack of awareness of the hazards, or a failure to prioritize worker safety over productivity and profit.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, employers must inform workers about chemical hazards and provide necessary personal protective equipment at no cost. Enforcement of these standards, including workplace inspections and mandatory reporting of fatalities and severe injuries, is crucial in maintaining a safe working environment. Finally, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) mandates that employees have the right to know about potential job hazards, and employers are obligated to educate them about these risks, reinforcing the importance of communication in workplace safety.