Occupational safety is a term that refers workplace standards and practices that protect worker safety, health and welfare. According to the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization, the aim of occupational safety is "the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations."

In the U.S., the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are responsible for occupational safety research, education, and training and for the creation and enforcement of workplace safety and occupational health regulations.

Aside from moral reasons, there are also economic and legal reasons why employers should establish occupational safety standards. Employee on-the-job injuries usually generate large costs for both the State and the employing organization which include social security payments, medical treatment costs, legal fees, fines, compensatory damages and lost production. Occupational safety may be enforced by civil law and/or criminal law. Were there no legal penalties for ignoring an unsafe workplace, most employers would act solely upon moral obligation.

Workplace hazards are things or situations that can lead to harm if not corrected and hinder job safety. Risk assessments must be carried out in order to identify hazards and who they affect, to calculate the risk (the probability that an accident will occur and the severity of the harm) and to pinpoint and prioritize the required corrective actions.

Workplace hazards can be divided into five groups: physical hazards, physical agents, chemical agents, biological agents, and psychosocial issues.

In 2005, there were 4.2 million work-related injuries among private sector firms. Approximately 33 percent of them occurred in goods-producing industries and 67 percent in services. In 2006, there were 5,703 employee deaths. The industry sectors in which the most federal inspections were carried out in 2006 were construction (59.3%) and manufacturing (19.9%).