Administrative Agencies and Asbestos Regulation
While the term "bureaucracy" may have negative connotations, the fact is that civil society could not long survive without it. In a socio-political entity as large, complex and diverse as the United States, a mechanism is necessary to enforce regulations and to serve as a liaison between a government and the citizens it represents.
Administrative agencies are part of this mechanism. While the legislative branch of government (Congress) creates legislation - which must be given the force of law by the executive (the President) and may be subject to interpretation by the judiciary (the Supreme Court)if and when challenged - administrative agencies are the tools by which these laws are enforced and used (hopefully) for the benefit of all.
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Perhaps the best known administrative agency is the CIA, which gathers and coordinates information related to national security. There is also the FTC, or Federal Trade Commission, which regulates certain aspects of the marketplace and is charged with the enforcement of anti-trust laws as well as the investigation of consumer complaints and allegations of market manipulations and abuse. These are only two of the dozens of administrative agencies that exist at the federal level. In addition, many of these agencies also exist in one form or another at the state level.
Federal administrative agencies are organized according to the branch of government to which they belong, and - under the Executive branch - by department, many of which are headed by a member of the President's cabinet.
While there are several administrative agencies that are concerned with worker health and safety issues, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the primary one. Created in 1970 under the Nixon Administration, OSHA is the agency responsible for overseeing the prevention of work-related health illnesses and injuries, as well as providing assistance for victims in getting treatment and fair compensation when appropriate.