What is the purpose of OSHA?

The purpose of OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is to ensure safe and healthful working conditions by setting and enforcing standards. This mission is central to OSHA’s role in protecting workers from hazards in the workplace. By establishing regulations and guidelines, OSHA aims to reduce workplace incidents and injuries, promoting overall worker safety and health.

The agency achieves this through a combination of inspections, training, outreach, and assistance, ensuring that employers comply with safety standards designed to minimize risks associated with hazardous working conditions. OSHA's emphasis on enforcing these standards is critical for creating a safer work environment, which in turn leads to improved employee morale and productivity.

Other options like regulating employee wages, promoting employee training programs, or creating job opportunities do not align with OSHA’s primary mission and responsibilities. While these elements may contribute to the broader realm of labor standards and workforce development, they fall outside the specific focus of OSHA on occupational safety and health standards.