Keeping Cool Beyond OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can trace its history back to President Nixon’s signature in 1970.  Driven by calls from labor unions and the increasing reality of deaths and disabilities in many industries, both OSHA and its sidekick NIOSH were born.  Interestingly, OSHA became a division of the Department of Labor while NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) reported into the CDC, alias Health and Human Services.  Clearly the former deals with enforcement and the latter with research. Since its inception OSHA has done much to improve industrial safety, often in response to tragic episodes.  Many efforts and compliance directives have focused on chemicals and pollutants such as asbestos, vinyl chloride, arsenic, lead, benzene, and carcinogens.  Unsafe working conditions have been eliminated or diminished in many industries including shipbuilding, meat packing, petroleum refining, sugar, grain, construction,

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