Occupational safety and health: United States of America

The major legislation in the United States to implement safety and health in the workplace is the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-595). The United States has enacted a number of laws to reduce the number and severity of work-related injuries and illnesses which, despite efforts of employers and government, were resulting in ever-increasing human misery and economic loss. The Act calls not only for enforcement of standards but for programmes of research, education and training. The Secretary of the Department of Labour Uniformly applies occupational safety and health standards which have been developed with the assistance of the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. A strong programme has been developed in research and application of research to problems in the special areas of mining, construction, and agriculture, as well as for general industry and other employment.