Carrying Out OSHA's Mission

Enforcement plays an important part in OSHA’s
efforts to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, and
fatalities. Through OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting
and Enhanced Enforcement programs, the agency
sends a clear message that it takes its mission
seriously. When the agency finds employers who
fail to uphold their employee safety and health
responsibilities, OSHA deals with them strongly.
In addition, OSHA administers and supports a
comprehensive field occupational safety and
health guidance and compliance assistance effort
within a variety of industry sectors including general
industry, maritime, construction, and health.
OSHA also administers and evaluates occupational
safety and health programs for all federal
agencies, assisting them in providing safe and
healthful working conditions for their employees.
OSHA also sets rules for the Federal Advisory
Council on Occupational Safety and Health, administers
an anti-discrimination program to protect the
rights of employees to seek safe and healthful
working conditions, and operates the cargo gear
accreditation program for certifying vessels’ cargo
gear and shore-based material handling devices.
OSHA carries out its enforcement activities
through its 10 regional offices and 90 area offices.
OSHA’s regional offices are located in Boston, New
York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas,
Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle.

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.