OSH Security Practice Test

What is required of employers according to the Occupational Health & Safety Act?

1. Provide body armour to employees

2. Provide a reasonably safe and healthy work environment

3. Provide higher pay rates in riskier work environments

4. Ensure that two guards are assigned to a site at night time

The correct answer is: Provide a reasonably safe and healthy work environment

The Occupational Health & Safety (OSH) Act emphasizes the employer's responsibility to ensure that employees work in an environment that is reasonably safe and promotes health. This means that employers must take proactive measures to identify hazards, minimize risks, and provide appropriate safety training and equipment. The core intention of the OSH Act is to protect workers from occupational hazards that could cause injury or illness. Providing a reasonably safe and healthy work environment encompasses a broad range of practices, such as maintaining equipment, providing safety training, ensuring proper housekeeping, and implementing safety programs. This requirement is fundamental in safeguarding the health and well-being of employees in any workplace. Other options, while they may address specific safety concerns, do not encapsulate the overall obligations that the OSH Act places on employers. For instance, providing body armor is not universally applicable, as not all jobs require such protective gear. Similarly, while higher pay rates in riskier work environments can be part of compensation strategies, they do not directly relate to workplace safety standards. Assigning two guards at night could enhance security for certain sites but does not address the holistic need for a safe work environment mandated by the OSH Act.