If a health or safety hazard at your workplace puts you in
imminent danger of death or a serious injury including situations immediately
dangerous to life and health, tell your supervisor immediately.
Ask that the condition be corrected and that no workers be
exposed to the danger until it is eliminated or controlled. If your employer
does not take steps to remove the danger, you may contact the nearest office of
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or your state
occupational safety and health authority. OSHA should be listed under "US.
Government, Department of Labor" in your telephone directory. If you live
in one of the 25 states or territories which operate their own OSHA programs,
you will find the listing under a state government heading such as
"Department of Labor" or "Department of Industry."
Tell OSHA the facts. Be specific. Identify the hazard, which
concerns you. If you request, OSHA will not reveal your name to your employer,
so don't hesitate to give OSHA your name, address, and a telephone number where
you can be contacted.
OSHA Responds with
Inspection
The director of the closest OSHA area office will review
your complaint and immediately decide whether OSHA should make an
investigation. If he or she decides that an investigation is necessary, an OSHA
inspector or "compliance officer" will conduct an inspection of your
workplace--usually the same day you report the problem. Reports of imminent
dangers receive the highest priority for OSHA inspections.
If OSHA cannot inspect within one working day after receipt
of the report, the area director will contact the employer immediately to
request that the hazard be corrected and any affected employees removed from
the danger area. An inspection to determine whether the imminent danger has
been eliminated will then be conducted at a later time.
Imminent Danger
Warning
During an inspection, if compliance officers find an
imminent danger, they will ask your employer to correct the hazardous condition
and remove endangered employees from the area. If your employer refuses, OSHA
may post an "Imminent danger" notice and may seek from the nearest
federal district court for an order requiring the employer to remove the
danger. Before the OSHA inspectors leave the workplace, they will inform all
affected employees of the hazard.
Refusing Dangerous
Work
OSHA can protect you if you are
discharged or otherwise disciplined for refusing to perform a task
that would expose you to imminent danger of death or serious injury,
providing you have sought and been unable to obtain a remedy from
your supervisor and there is insufficient time to have the condition
corrected through filing a complaint with OSHA. You may also be
protected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) if you
refuse dangerous work in cooperation with or on behalf of other
workers. OSHA and the NLRB cooperate in refusal-to-work cases involving
health or safety hazards. You may contact either agency to discuss your
case if you have been punished for refusing dangerous work.
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