Occupational Safety And Health Administration
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Matthew K. Robinson
Harrison College
First and foremost, the number one right workers have is a safe environment in which to work. These rights include any safety equipment necessary to perform your essential duties, access to any OSHA related citations that have been issued to your employer and a date in which to comply, the ability to notify your employer about any workplace hazards, and more (OSHA Workers’ Rights, 2014). The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970 to make working conditions better for employees and to help prevent harm or on the job fatalities. Due to the Occupational Safety and Health Act employees are now able to partake in safety training as well as gain valuable information pertaining to work safety. Employees who are not covered under the OSH Act include people who are “self-employed, immediate family members of farm employers, and workplace hazards regulated by another federal agency.” (Workers’ Rights under the OSH Act, 2014). If you feel that your workers’ rights under OSHA have been violated you should always take steps to file a complaint. First speak with your employer or designated supervisor that might handle all OSHA related or workplace safety regulations (Repa, n.d.). When filing a complaint with your employer it is best to have multiple people who have had the same issue. That way your complaint will be taken more seriously and hopefully will be handled in a timely manner. If the complaint is still not dealt with, it would be best to make a formal complaint with an OSHA office located in your state or region. Filing a complaint can be confidential so the employee/s filing the complaint won’t have to worry about repercussions from their employer. For minor issues someone from an OSHA office may call your employer about the issue, but for more serious issues an OSHA representative will perform an on-site inspection. It is the employers’ duty to provide their
Matthew K. Robinson
Harrison College
First and foremost, the number one right workers have is a safe environment in which to work. These rights include any safety equipment necessary to perform your essential duties, access to any OSHA related citations that have been issued to your employer and a date in which to comply, the ability to notify your employer about any workplace hazards, and more (OSHA Workers’ Rights, 2014). The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970 to make working conditions better for employees and to help prevent harm or on the job fatalities. Due to the Occupational Safety and Health Act employees are now able to partake in safety training as well as gain valuable information pertaining to work safety. Employees who are not covered under the OSH Act include people who are “self-employed, immediate family members of farm employers, and workplace hazards regulated by another federal agency.” (Workers’ Rights under the OSH Act, 2014). If you feel that your workers’ rights under OSHA have been violated you should always take steps to file a complaint. First speak with your employer or designated supervisor that might handle all OSHA related or workplace safety regulations (Repa, n.d.). When filing a complaint with your employer it is best to have multiple people who have had the same issue. That way your complaint will be taken more seriously and hopefully will be handled in a timely manner. If the complaint is still not dealt with, it would be best to make a formal complaint with an OSHA office located in your state or region. Filing a complaint can be confidential so the employee/s filing the complaint won’t have to worry about repercussions from their employer. For minor issues someone from an OSHA office may call your employer about the issue, but for more serious issues an OSHA representative will perform an on-site inspection. It is the employers’ duty to provide their
References: Judson, K., Harrison, C., & Judson, K. (2013). Law & ethics for the health professions. New York: McGraw-Hill. OSHA Worker’s Rights. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3021.pdf Repa, B. K. (n.d.). Enforcing Your OSHA Rights. Retrieved from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/employee-rights-book/chapter6- 3.html Workers’ Rights under the OSH Act (2014). Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/workers/index.html