Help! I Don’t Feel Safe At Work – An Employee’s Guide To Reporting Safety Concerns In The Workplace
No matter where you work, or what your job is, you are entitled to feel safe and protected during the time you spend at work. Your employers are obliged to ensure that the risk of accidents, injury or illness are taken care of for you and everyone else who works there.
Accidents do happen, of course, but if you don’t feel safe at your place of work, there are steps you can take to remain protected from the risk of injury.
As the very least, your employer should have basic provisions in place that align with their obligations under The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) to ensure that your work environment is safe and free from dangerous conditions.
As a worker, you are entitled to receive information and training about hazards that you might encounter in your place of work, and how best you can protect yourself from these types of hazards. Your employer must provide you with personal protective equipment if your job is high risk, as well as full instructions on how to properly use any protective equipment.
What To Do If You Don’t Feel Safe At Work
We understand that every paycheck is important and that sometimes workers worry about losing their jobs if they do speak up about unsafe working conditions. But, your employer is bound by law to ensure the safety of his or her workers, and not reporting something could lead to an accident, illness or even death. If you are concerned about your working conditions, you must speak up.
If your work environment is causing your concerns, consider the level of risk posed by your current working conditions before acting on them accordingly.
Does the safety hazard pose an imminent danger?
If you are concerned that your working conditions place your own life, or that of others in imminent danger, you should report the conditions directly to OSHA. You also have the right to refuse to work if any of the following apply:
- You reasonably believe, in good faith, that your workplace conditions pose an immediate and substantial risk of serious injury or death
- Your employer is aware but unwilling to fix the dangerous conditions
- Your employer is aware of your concerns but has not offered you a reasonable alternative
You can refuse to return to your duties until such time as your employer has eliminated the danger, and it is determined that any imminent danger no longer exists.
What to Do When a Safety Hazard Does Not Pose an Imminent Danger
If you are concerned about working conditions that do not pose an immediate threat to yourself or your fellow workers, you can still take this up with your employer directly.
You should inform them in writing, and they should take action to eliminate any potential hazard. If, however, they choose to do nothing you can file a complaint with OSHA or with the appropriate state occupational safety agency raising all of your concerns.
As an employee, you are protected against poor working conditions, and many state laws prohibit employers from the unfair treatment of workers who report a violation. At the very least, you are entitled to work in a safe environment, without worrying that your boss will fire you, demote you or reduce your pay because you have complained about the conditions in your place of work.
Most employers will want to reduce the risk of any accidents happening on their premises and will work together with their staff to eliminate any concerns they may have. Employers that fail to appreciate the importance of offering a safe workplace, are more likely to have workers compensation suits filed against them, which will increase their insurance premiums, tarnish their reputations and go against them in the long term.
If you have been the victim of a work-related injury or illness, we can help. Call us today at (844) 762-8155 to see how we can assist with your workers’ compensation claim.
When you hire the Law Offices of Ala Alikhani, P.A. to represent you, we go to extremes to ensure employers and their insurance companies are held accountable and that you receive the benefits you are entitled to by the law.
Were you injured at work? Contact us for a FREE consultation. We are available throughout all times of the day to discuss your case with you. Our office is fluent in Creole and Spanish.
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