Occupational Safety and Health Administration

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a branch of the United States Department of Labor, aims to ensure worker safety and health in the U.S. by working with employers and employees to create better working environments. Since its inception in 1971, OSHA has helped to cut workplace fatalities by more than 60 percent and occupational injury and illness rates by 40 percent. At the same time, U.S. employment has doubled from 58 million workers at 3.5 million worksites to more than 115 million workers at 7.2 million sites. OSHA and its state partners have approximately 2,100 inspectors, plus complaint discrimination investigators, engineers, physicians, educators, standards writers, and other technical and support personnel spread throughout more than 200 offices throughout the country. This staff establishes protective standards, enforces those standards and reaches out to employers and employees through technical assistance and consultation programs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is headquartered in Washington, D.C.