OSHA and on the Waterfront Signed Into

OSHA and on the Waterfront

Signed into law on December 29th, 1970 by President Richard M. Nixon, the Occupational Safety and Health Act recognized the government's role in protecting the American worker from hazards and threats in the workplace. Throughout most of the industrial age, the safety of the worker has been of little concern to those who own and operate businesses. And while the concerns for the safety were forced upon the owners of businesses, mostly through the pressure of unions, the government spent little effort disrupting the profits of business by inserting itself into the issue. That was until the late 1960's when American society became much more aware of the rights of various groups, including workers, and demanded that the safety of the worker be considered as a major concern.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency assigned to ensure that the provisions of the act are enforced and workers are guaranteed a safe and healthy workplace environment. As a result of this agency, modern workers can be relatively assured that their safety and health are being guarded. In the past, however, this was not always the case, not only did business owners disregard the safety of their employees in favor of greater profits, but sometimes used "accidents" as a means of control and intimidation. Examples of these types of violent tactics can be seen in the classic film On The Waterfront, where corrupt union bosses and factory owners allow for the safety and health of workers to be exploited for profit, and use "accidents" as a means of intimidation and retribution.

The safety of the worker has always been tied to the legitimate labor movement which "knew that underpaid, overwork red, and poorly fed workers were more likely to be injured or incapacitated on the job." (Rosner, 1989) Dock workers in On The Waterfront are forced to work long hours, in exhausting conditions, with no regard for their health or safety. In the film, corrupt union officials allow their workers to be exploited and overtly elicit bribes, intimidate, and even use violence against their members. One of the characters, a worker named Kayo Dugan who intends to testify before a corruption commission is killed when the foreman arranges an accident. (On The Waterfront, 2001, 52:00) The "accident" is meant not only to stop a worker from testifying and exposing corruption, but also as a means of intimidation to the other workers. While the character Kayo Dugan's "accident" was in truth murder, in addition to minimizing the numbers of real accidents, OSHA is also responsible to ensure that unscrupulous business owners or corrupt union officials cannot conspire to arrange "accidents" for troublesome employees.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's webpage, it's mission is "to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance." ("OSHA's Mission") Under OSHA regulations, employers must follow all relevant OSHA safety and health standards, find and correct any violations of OSHA regulations, inform and train employees in appropriate safety measures, notify OSHA in the event of a fatality, keep records of injuries and illnesses, and post OSHA notifications. Workers who exercise their rights under the law, "can be protected against employer reprisal." ("Employment Law Guide") Arranged "accidents," like the one depicted in On The Waterfront can not realistically happen anymore, arranged fatalities will be investigated by OSHA and those responsible will be punished under the law.

Not only does OSHA force businesses to obey safety regulations, it also protects the rights of workers from being exploited or exposed to unsafe or unhealthy working conditions, and can conduct inspections without prior notice to any business under its jurisdiction. ("At a Glance: OSHA") OSHA also provides consultation services to business that can aid in a business' ability to identify and comply with appropriate OSHA regulations. Finally, OSHA also operates a number of cooperative programs that help business improve safety and health throughout the country, including the Alliance Program, as well as Hispanic Outreach, Regional Showcases, and a number of others. ("Success Stories")