The Occupational Safety and Health Act and State Workers’ Compensation Laws

Worker Health and Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Act. (OSHA).

The fundamental federal law aimed toward safety in the workplace.

Enforcement is by OSHA, NIOSH, and the OSHRC.

State Workers’ Compensation Laws

Reduce employer liability to employees for workplace injuries, and provide a measure of assurance that workplace injuries will be compensated, regardless of the solvency of the employer, by:

§ Requiring that injured employees make a claim against the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy, instead of suing the employer.

§ Requiring most employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance.