What It Is

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, is a U.S. federal regulation enforcing workplace safety and health standards primarily in 29 CFR 1910 for general industry. Its primary purpose is assuring safe conditions by reducing hazards through standards enforcement, inspections, and cooperative programs. Key approach: performance-based standards with General Duty Clause for uncodified risks and hierarchy of controls.

Key Components

• Organized into subparts covering walking-working surfaces, PPE, hazardous materials, toxic substances (Subpart Z), emergency plans.
• Over 1,000 standards; core principles include employer/employee duties, recordkeeping (OSHA 300/300A/301), electronic reporting via Injury Tracking Application.
• Compliance model: inspections, citations, penalties up to $165,514 for willful violations; no formal certification but state plans and voluntary programs like VPP.

Why Organizations Use It

Legal mandate for U.S. employers; mitigates fines, injuries, litigation. Strategic benefits: reduced costs, productivity gains, ESG alignment, talent retention.

Implementation Overview

Systems-based: hazard assessment, IIPP programs, training, engineering controls. Applies to most private-sector employers; ongoing via audits, state variations. No certification; focus on documented compliance during inspections.

What It Is

FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a U.S. government-wide standardized framework for security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring of cloud services used by federal agencies. Its primary purpose is to enable secure, reusable cloud adoptions via NIST SP 800-53-derived baselines tailored to FIPS 199 impact levels (Low, Moderate, High).

Key Components

• Baselines with ~156/323/410 controls for Low/Moderate/High impacts, plus LI-SaaS subset.
• Core artifacts: SSP, SAR, POA&M; 3PAO assessments.
• Built on NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5; continuous monitoring playbooks.
• Agency/Program authorizations listed in FedRAMP Marketplace.

Why Organizations Use It

• Unlocks federal contracts and procurement (effectively mandatory for CSPs targeting government).
• Reduces duplication via reusable assessments; enhances security posture.
• Builds trust, competitive edge; mitigates legal risks.

Implementation Overview

• Gap analysis, documentation, 3PAO assessment (10-19 months, $150k-$2M+).
• Applies to CSPs of all sizes serving federal; requires ongoing monitoring.
• No formal certification but Marketplace listing via agency/program ATO.