OSHA

American  

[oh-shuh, osh-uh] / ˈoʊ ʃə, ˈɒʃ ə /

noun

U.S. Government.

1. the division of the Department of Labor that sets and enforces occupational health and safety rules.

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Etymology

Origin of OSHA

O(ccupational) S(afety and) H(ealth) A(dministration)

Example Sentences

Seminal moments in the history of the U.S. workplace included the fight for a 10-hour workday, the creation of OSHA, the rise of gig work and these other key developments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

This meant the legal proceedings were settled, and as part of this agreement Lochridge withdrew his complaint at OSHA.

From BBC • Aug. 6, 2025

An ICE spokesperson referred questions from The Times about whether the agency would hold off on workplace raids amid a health or safety investigation to federal OSHA, which didn’t provide comment.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2025

The White House has pushed officials at the Labor Department, which oversees OSHA, to publish a draft heat regulation this summer.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2024

I heard David Michaels, the former head of OSHA, talk about this concept as the body-in-the-morgue method: By the time you can show a chemical is dangerous, that it’s killing people, it’s too late.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2024