The purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA is to help ensure that workers across the country have safe and healthy working conditions. OSHA helps enforce regulations and creates a standard that protects American workers from unlawful retaliation.
When and Why Was OSHA Created?
President Richard Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act on December 29, 1970, and it was officially enacted on April 28, 1971. OSHA was created to address widespread concern over rising workplace injuries and death rates.
What Is OSHA’s Main Functions?
OSHA enacts and oversees several areas covering workplace safety. The main four OSHA purposes are:
- Setting and enforcing workplace safety standards: OSHA has an extensive set of regulations and standards that aim to make workplaces safer. The administration enforces these regulations and ensures compliance by conducting regular inspections, which can be routine or based on worker complaints or other concerns. Noncompliance can result in legal issues and serious fines.
- Training and education: The administration provides helpful resources and supports learning opportunities. There is also the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers — a nationwide network of nonprofit organizations providing OSHA-authorized health and safety training for all workers. Through these centers, workers can complete various certificate and degree courses.
- Research and data collection: OSHA gathers and provides invaluable data and statistics on workplace injuries and other related incidents. The agency has public information available, including inspection data, establishment-specific data and other Department of Labor data.
- Awareness and advocacy: One of OSHA’s main purposes is to prioritize worker safety awareness and advocate for safe working environments for all. OSHA meets this objective in a variety of ways, including education and advocacy.
About Fitzgerald Equipment Company
For more than 60 years, the team at Fitzgerald Equipment Company has provided clients in various industries throughout Wisconsin and Illinois with outstanding quality material handling products. We provide an extensive range of new, used and rental equipment to serve your company’s unique needs, including forklifts and forklift attachments, aerial lifts, floor cleaning equipment, industrial carts, and batteries and chargers. Fitzgerald Equipment Company is also your source for reliable services and high-quality OEM parts.
We are also proud to offer various forklift operator training options in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Our forklift operator and train-the-trainer kits fulfill all OSHA requirements for both the initial training courses and the refresher courses.
Contact Us Today
Feel free to contact us today to register for forklift training or learn more about our products and services.
