What OSHA Does

OSHA uses three basic strategies, authorized by
the Occupational Safety and Health Act, to help
employers and employees reduce injuries, illnesses,
and deaths on the job:
• Strong, fair, and effective enforcement;
• Outreach, education, and compliance assistance;
and
• Partnerships, Alliances and other cooperative
and voluntary programs.
Based on these strategies, OSHA conducts a wide
range of programs and activities to promote
workplace safety and health. The agency:
• Encourages employers and employees to
reduce workplace hazards and to implement
new safety and health management systems
or improve existing programs;
• Develops mandatory job safety and health
standards and enforces them through
inspections, and, sometimes, by imposing citations,
penalties, or both;
• Promotes safe and healthful work environments
through cooperative programs including
the Voluntary Protection Programs, OSHA
Strategic Partnerships, and Alliances;
• Establishes responsibilities and rights for
employers and employees to achieve better
safety and health conditions;
• Supports the development of innovative ways
of dealing with workplace hazards;
• Establishes requirements for injury and illness
recordkeeping by employers, and for employer
monitoring of certain occupational illnesses;
• Establishes training programs to increase the
competence of occupational safety and health
personnel;
• Provides technical and compliance assistance,
and training and education to help employers
reduce worker accidents and injuries;
• Works in partnership with states that operate
their own occupational safety and health programs;
and
• Supports the Consultation Programs offered
by all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the
Northern Mariana Islands.