Intro to OSHA & Workplace Rights
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) exists because workers used to die a LOT. This lesson covers what OSHA does, what your rights are, why the OSHA 10 card matters, and the General Duty Clause — the most-cited regulation in workplace safety law.
The lesson
Why OSHA Exists
Created in 1970 by the Occupational Safety and Health Act after decades of preventable workplace deaths (an average of 14,000 per year before OSHA). OSHA writes safety regulations (29 CFR 1910 for general industry, 1926 for construction), inspects job sites, and fines companies that ignore the rules. Today, workplace deaths are down to ~5,200/year despite a 3x larger workforce.
Your Rights as a Worker (Section 11(c))
You have the right to: safe equipment, training in a language you understand, information about hazards (SDS sheets), access to your own medical records, file a complaint without retaliation, and refuse work you reasonably believe will kill or seriously injure you.
The OSHA 10 Card
10 hours of safety training. Required on many construction sites (especially in NY, NJ, MA, CT, NV, RI, MO) before you set foot on them. Valid for life federally, though some states require renewal every 5 years. Costs ~$60-$80. OSHA 30 is the supervisor-level version.
The General Duty Clause
Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act: every employer must furnish a workplace 'free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.' This is the catch-all OSHA uses when no specific regulation applies. It's the most-cited rule in workplace safety enforcement.
The Hierarchy of Controls
When eliminating a hazard, OSHA expects employers to work down this list in order: 1) Elimination (remove the hazard), 2) Substitution (replace with something safer), 3) Engineering controls (barriers, ventilation), 4) Administrative controls (training, rotation), 5) PPE (last resort, not first). Jumping straight to 'wear a respirator' instead of fixing ventilation is a violation.
Tool list
- Notebook + pen for the 10-hour course
- Internet access (osha.gov has the official resources, free)
- OSHA 10 training provider (e.g., OSHA Education Center, Click Safety, 360training)
Safety — Read or get hurt
- !!You CAN refuse work you reasonably believe will kill or seriously injure you — document why in writing.
- !!Retaliation against complaints is illegal — file with OSHA within 30 days at osha.gov/workers/file-complaint.
- !!Anonymous complaints are allowed and investigated.
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6 questions · pass at 80%