OSHA\u27s Impact on Industry

On December 29, 1970, the President signed into law the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970, which became effective April 28, 1971. The purpose of this act is to assure safe and healthful working conditions for the nation\u27s wage earners. The law provides that each employer has the basic duty to furnish his employees a place of employment which is safe from recognized hazards that cause death or serious physical harm. The implementation of the OSHA Act has been the most extensive intervention into the day-to-day operation of American Industry in history. Originally, employers expressed doubt that they could meet requirements of the OSHA standards and remain in business. This investigation reveals that a concentrated effort to organize a safety group trained in OSHA standards and a program for identifying costs for correction can lead to an economical compliance program which is advantageous to the employer and employee as well. Three aerospace firms were investigated for the impact of OSHA. Results show that approximately $400,000 will bring each of these firms into compliance. Compliance cost, however, is greatly determined by the type of industry, age of facility, and the safety program in effect at the facility