General Education Development (GED) Practice Exam

Which scenario would violate the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)?

1. An employee becoming injured while commuting to work

2. An employee becoming injured due to faulty equipment

3. An employer requiring work with toxic chemicals

4. An employer failing to cooperate with an OSHA inspection

The correct answer is: An employee becoming injured due to faulty equipment

The scenario in which an employee becomes injured due to faulty equipment illustrates a direct violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) standards. OSHA is designed to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, obligating employers to maintain equipment that is safe for use. If equipment is faulty and leads to an injury, it indicates that the employer has not taken necessary steps to ensure the safety of their workers and that they failed to provide a safe work environment as mandated by OSHA regulations. In this context, the other scenarios involve workplace incidents but do not inherently violate OSHA regulations. An employee becoming injured while commuting to work pertains to personal transportation, which is outside the scope of workplace safety regulations. Requiring work with toxic chemicals is subject to OSHA regulations, but as long as the employer provides necessary safety measures and training, this requirement itself is not a violation. Lastly, while failing to cooperate with an OSHA inspection is problematic, it does not directly relate to the safety and health conditions of the workplace in the same immediate manner as faulty equipment leading to injury. Therefore, the scenario of an employee becoming injured due to faulty equipment is a clear violation of the act.