Occupational Safety

The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is to provide fair and timely adjudication of workplace safety and health disputes between the Department of Labor and employers. In doing this, the Commission plays a vital role in encouraging safe and healthy workplaces for American workers.

The cases in which the Review Commission renders decisions arise from inspections conducted by a Federal agency separate from the Review Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is a part of the Department of Labor.

EPA’s print publications are available through the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), and EPA’s digital publications are stored in the National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS) database. You can search and retrieve, download, print and/or order only EPA publications from this site.

Occupational Safety & Health Division

The OSH Division is divided into five main bureaus:

Agricultural Safety and Health Bureau (ASH) — The bureau conducts preoccupancy inspections for migrant labor camps and conducts other inspections to ensure compliance with applicable agricultural safety and health standards

Compliance Bureau — The bureau conducts random inspections of North Carolina businesses to ensure compliance with applicable workplace safety and health standards. The bureau manages the OSH Complaint Desk that process work-related safety and health concerns.

Consultative Services Bureau — The bureau provides free, on-site consultation upon employer request to help employers comply with workplace safety and health standards. The bureau also administers three recognition programs, the Carolina Star Program, the Safety Awards Program and the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) that acknowledges businesses with exemplary safety and health programs.

Education, Training and Technical Assistance (ETTA) — The bureau coordinates and conducts various outreach programs such as safety and health schools and workshops speaking engagements, training events and booth displays. The bureau also reviews the federal standards for state adoption, coordinates state-specific rulemaking activities, distributes OSH publications, and provides written, electronic or telephone interpretive guidance to employers and employees. The bureau also processes variance requests.

Planning, Statistics and Information Management (PSIM) — The bureau provides statistical data about North Carolina employers. The bureau produces several annual statistical documents and manages inspection case file disclosures.

The Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Centers were established by NIOSH to assure an ample supply of well-trained professionals in the area of occupational safety and health.

Through academic programs and continuing education, the goal of the NC ERC is to provide quality educational opportunities for those with the responsibility of ensuring safety and health in the workplace. It shares responsibility for the eight southeastern states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky.

The mission of the NC OSHERC at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is to prepare occupational safety and health professionals to promote and protect worker health. This is accomplished through the provision of high quality interdisciplinary education and training, research and service in occupational safety and health.