What is the leading federal agency in the United States that protects human health and safety?

The following agencies have a wealth of useful information on their websites.  The links will take you to the agency’s homepage as well as selected webpages within the site.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

• An agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ATDSR serves the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and disease related to toxic substances.
• Points of interest within this site: Environmental Health Nursing Initiative

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• CDC’s goal is to prevent, monitor and control disease, injury and disability on a national and global level.  The agency engages in health monitoring, research, prevention strategies, and policy development to promote health.
• Points of interest within this site: Environmental Health, National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network

Department of Energy (DOE)

• DOE’s overarching mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• The United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• The U.S. EPA is a federal agency that develops laws, regulations, and guidance designed to protect human health and the environment.
• Points of interest within this site: Office of Children’s Health Protection, Envirofacts Warehouse, Concerned Citizens Resources, Integrated Pest Management, Pesticides and Food

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• The agency responsible for ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
• Points of interest on this site: National Center for Toxicological Research

Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• HUD’s mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable, healthy housing free from discrimination.

National Library of Medicine (NLM)

• NLM is the world’s largest medical library.  Publishes the PubMed and MEDLINE databases which are excellent sources of health information for health professionals and the general public.
• Points of interest on this site: PubMed, MEDLINE, Environmental Health and Toxicology Specialized Information Services

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

• One of the National Institutes for Health, NIEHS focuses on basic science, disease-oriented research, global environmental health, and multidisciplinary training for researchers.
• Points of interest on this site: Environmental Health Perspectives, National Toxicology Program

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

• NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. It is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

• OSHA’s mission is to assure the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health.

Three U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) agencies have responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the laws enacted to protect the safety and health of workers in America.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

• OSHA administers the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act.
• Safety and health conditions in most private industries are regulated by OSHA or OSHA-approved state plans.
• Nearly every employee in the nation comes under OSHA's jurisdiction with some exceptions such as miners, some transportation workers, many public employees, and the self-employed.
• Employers subject to the OSH Act also have a general duty to provide work and a workplace free from recognized, serious hazards.
• OSHA also administers the Whistleblower Protection program, ensuring an employer cannot retaliate by taking "adverse action" against workers who report injuries, safety concerns, or other protected activity.

Mine Safety and Health Administration

• MSHA has responsibility for administration and enforcement of the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, which protects the safety and health of workers employed in the nation's mines.
• The Act applies to all mining and mineral processing operations in the United States, regardless of size, number of employees, or method of extraction.

Fair Labor Standards Act

• FLSA contains rules concerning the employment of young workers, those under the age of 18, and is administered and enforced by DOL's Wage and Hour Division. Intended to protect the health and well-being of youth in America, the FLSA contains minimum age restrictions for employment, restrictions on the times of day youth may work, and the jobs they may perform.

Other resources

• Office of Workers' Compensation Programs - Administers four major disability compensation programs which provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation and other benefits to certain workers or their dependents who experience work-related injury or occupational disease. You can also read more at our workers' compensation topic page. 
• Office of the Ombudsman for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOMBD) and the SHARE initiative also play a role in the administration of DOL workplace safety and health programs.

For help in determining which safety and health standards apply to particular employment situations, select from the subtopics lists. Also, see the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s webpages on safety and health in the workplace.