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Differences Between OSHA and EPA

Andrew T. Von Dran

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide

SFTY 409: Aviation Safety

James Durwin

January 15, 2023

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act of 1970 was responsible for the

creation of OSHA. The administration falls under the U.S. Secretary of Labor and is responsible

for setting and enforcing healthy and safe working standards for employees and employers to

abide by. According to the textbook, “Commercial Aviation Safety, 6th Edition”, OSHA has been

credited with protecting and helping thousands of lives and have reduced on-the-job accidents

leading to injuries by more than 50% (Cusick, S., Cortes, A., & Rodrigues, C., 2017).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) falls under the Executive Branch as its own

entity and was also formed in 1970. The goal of the EPA is to conduct research and then monitor

and enforce standards which help to minimize pollutants in the environment. The EPA focuses

on all parts of society and considers what is best for communities as well as state and national

levels (Cusick, S., Cortes, A., & Rodrigues, C., 2017).

At the core of how OSHA and the EPA are different, OSHA sets and maintains standards

for safe workplace practices while the EPA enforces rules to limit environmental pollution down

to minimum levels. When it comes to contaminants, both of these agencies have their own

standards in place. The difference being that OSHA enforces standards in a way that limits

employees’ exposure to contaminants at the workplace while the EPA is more concerned with

the entirety of the environment. The EPA is subdivided into several offices that specialize in

specific areas and do nearly all of their own research. OSHA is able to initiate new standards on

their own, however, they lean on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH), which falls under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for much of

their research and recommendations (Cusick, S., Cortes, A., & Rodrigues, C., 2017).

In aviation, we understand the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the dominant

safety enforcing administration. It may be confusing if there are so many different agencies all
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responsible for safety. To keep it as simplified as possible, the FAA and OSHA have a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that essentially allows the FAA to regulate employees

on “aircraft in operation” while OSHA and the EPA maintain their regulations for everything to

exclude those operations. OSHA and EPA standards apply at the hangar where aircraft are stored

and maintained/repaired, during maintenance conducted at the ramp, during aircraft fabrication,

refueling operations, and many other similar circumstances (FAA/OSHA, 2000).

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References

Cusick, S., Cortes, A., & Rodrigues, C. (2017). Commercial aviation safety. 6th ed. McGraw

Hill Education.

Federal Aviation Administration/ Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2000).

Aviation Safety and Health Team.