Workplace Safety

Workplace safety is the set of rules and programs meant to keep workers from being injured or made ill by their jobs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets and enforces federal standards, and many states run their own programs. Other agencies focus on particular hazards, such as mine dust, and child labor laws limit the work young people can do.

People usually bring questions about what rights workers have to a safe workplace, how to report a hazard, and what protections exist against retaliation. They also ask how programs serve workers with job-related illnesses, such as black lung disease, and what limits apply to youth employment.