Legal Aspects of Safety and Health - Essay Example

Running Head: PLANS Legal Aspects of Safety and Health: Plans Module: Lecturer: OSHA Actencourages individual states to have their own health and safety programs. The state plan should have an all-rounded structure that fulfils all the requirements of safety and health in a workplace. So far only 22 states have complete plans fully approved by OSHA; New York, Tennessee, Wyoming and Michigan among others (OSHA, 2011). These states’ plans are fully operational and are independent of direct OSHA interference.

For a state to be approved it first needs to have erected structural elements that facilitate establishment of a safety and health program within 3 years. Some of the elements include legislations, regulations and procedures, enforcement and enough personnel among others (OSHA, 2011). This is wholly a documentation stage after which certification is offered. OSHA monitors the particular state’s affairs to assess its fitness for approval. The state needs to show that it can enforce its own regulations and procedures and offer adequate training on health and safety.

After this, an Operational Status Agreement is granted after the state seems fit to have an independent plan. Under this agreement OSHA relinquishes its direct supervision on the state in order to allow room for development of the state plan. When a state passes this stage successfully, OSHA grants it the Final Approval thereby enabling a fully fledged occupational safety and health program to operate independently in the state (OSHA, 2011).ReferencesOSHA. (2011). What is a State OSHA Program?

Retrieved 02 Feb. 2011 from http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/faq.html#establishingyourown