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Although most of these incidents are minor, approximately 2 million
cases each year involve lost work time, and about 14,000 American
workers die each year because of work-related injuries or accidents.

In the United States before 1900 the safety of workers was of little
concern to employers. Only with the passage of the Workmen's

Compensation Laws between 1908 and 1948 did U.S. employers start to
pay attention to industrial safety; making the work environment safer
was less costly than paying compensation. Labor shortages during

World War II (1939-1945) focused renewed attention on industrial
safety and on the losses incurred by industrial accidents.

During the 1960s a number of industry-specific laws were enacted,
such as the Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act, the Coal Mine

Health and Safety Act, and the Construction Safety Act. A new national
policy was established in 1970, when for the first time all industrial
workers in businesses affected by interstate commerce were covered by

the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Under this act, the National
Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NI-OSH) was given responsibility for
conducting research on occupational health and safety standards, and the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was charged
with setting, promulgating, and enforcing appropriate standards in
industry.

Hazards and Their Prevention

Various external sources, such as chemical, biological, or physical
hazards, can cause work-related injury. Hazards may also result from the
interaction between worker and environment; these so-called ergonomic

hazards can cause physiological or psychological stress.

Chemical hazards can arise from the presence of poisonous or
irritating gas, mist, or dust in the workplace. Hazard elimination may
require the use of alternative and less toxic materials, improved

ventilation, leakage control, or protective clothing.

Biological hazards arise from bacteria or viruses transmitted by
animals or unclean equipment and lend to occur primarily in the food-

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