How to Know OSHA Workers' Rights

The United States government has created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to guarantee that employers provide a healthy and safe work environment for employees. Employers must follow OSHA's safety standards or face penalties.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Access the website for the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA. Follow links to Workers. This link explains the basic coverage for employees in the state, federal and private sectors. Click on OSHA Act of 1970 to discover why the U.S. Congress created OSHA laws to protect workers' rights.
2. Follow links to Workers' Rights under the subheading Rights and Responsibilities on the website. Scroll down to the Training section on this page. Review the specific health and safety training employers must provide. Discover how employees must be kept informed of hazardous chemicals at the work site and how they can protect themselves.
3. Go to the Request Information from Your Employer section on the page. Review the six bulleted items. They explain how to request information on hazards at a work site. They further state that employees have the right to observe how toxic chemicals are measured at the workplace.
4. Download the OSHA Act of 1970. Search the text for 29 CFR 1903.11. Read this section to discover how workers may file OSHA complaints against their employers for violations of OSHA standards. Workers can even request that OSHA inspect the job site.
5. Return to OSHA's home page. Access the booklet, OSHA: Employee Workplace Rights. This publication describes OSHA standards for state and federal employees in more detail. It further gives contact information for OSHA's regional offices where workers may file complaints.