What does OSHA regulate in the workplace?

OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is a regulatory body responsible for ensuring safe and healthy working conditions across various industries. Its primary focus is on preventing workplace hazards, particularly those related to chemical exposure and ensuring the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

By regulating chemical hazards, OSHA sets standards for how dangerous substances should be handled to protect workers from potential health risks, including exposure limits, proper labeling, and safety data sheets. Alongside this, OSHA mandates the provision and proper use of personal protective equipment to shield employees from risks that cannot be adequately controlled by other means. This emphasis on chemical safety and PPE is crucial, especially in environments like salons and spas where exposure to chemicals is common, reinforcing the importance of safety protocols in cosmetology practices.

The other choices do not align with OSHA’s primary regulations. For instance, while employee health records do pertain to workplace safety, regulations around personal health records and break times fall more under labor law and employee rights rather than OSHA’s specific focus on safety and health hazards. Similarly, workplace aesthetics and decorum do not constitute a safety concern regulated by OSHA, nor does the regulation of employee-owned personal devices, as this is typically outside their jurisdiction.