ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the legal apparatus that has been established by the federal government to protect the health and safety of workers across the entire U. S. These laws and the apparatus to enforce them are of paramount importance to industrial hygienists. Federal involvement in worker health and safety begins with the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of December 1970. The OSH Act intends to prevent injury or illness among all workers. This is a huge responsibility, more than can be reasonably achieved with the manpower and funds available. Only the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can set the legal standards. However, in the absence of a legal standard in some area, OSHA may choose to use the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommendation as the reasonable standard employers should meet to provide a safe workplace. An OSHA industrial hygiene inspection is complex and formal.
