OSHA 10 Hour Construction Program Practice Test

True or False: Prior to the establishment of OSHA, there was a cohesive system of rules governing workplace safety.

1. True

2. False

3. Partially true

4. Depends on the state

The correct answer is: False

The statement is false because, prior to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1970, there was no cohesive and comprehensive system of federal rules specifically governing workplace safety. While some states had their own regulations and standards, and some industries followed voluntary safety standards, these were inconsistent, fragmented, and often insufficient to ensure the safety and health of all workers. OSHA was created to fill this gap by providing a unified set of standards and regulations to protect workers across various industries, establishing a structured framework to enhance workplace safety and health. The lack of a cohesive system before OSHA often resulted in inadequate protections and significant risks for employees, emphasizing the crucial need for federal standards that could be uniformly applied.