A branch of the Department of Labor charged with enforcing federal safety and health standards. It implements and enforces the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) by issuing regulations and holding employers responsible for violations through inspections and corrective action (see Practice Notes, Health and Safety in the Workplace: Overview and Handling an OSHA Inspection).

OSHA also administers 21 federal whistleblower statutes, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as modified by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (see Practice Notes, Whistleblower Protections Under Sarbanes-Oxley and the Dodd-Frank Act and Whistleblower Complaints Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act).

In addition to the federal OSHA, many states maintain their own job safety and health programs. These programs must be approved by OSHA and maintain the minimum standards of the federal OSH Act. OSHA also monitors these state plans. For links to state occupational safety and health plans, see Practice Note, State Occupational Safety and Health Plan Laws Chart: Overview.