The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) gives any employee who works in the U.S. the right to file a complaint if they believe that there are unsafe conditions or serious hazards at their workplace. This is important, as it can help to prevent workplace accidents by initiating an OSHA inspection – which can result in the hazard being eliminated.
If you wish to file an OSHA complaint, it’s important to do it as soon as possible after noticing the hazard at your workplace. That’s because OSHA citations can only be issued for violations that are ongoing or have existed over the past six months. If you wait too long, OSHA may not be able to try and fix the problem. There are three ways to file an OSHA complaint:
1) Online – The OSHA website (osha.gov) provides an online form that you can simply fill out and submit.
2) Fax/Mail – The website also provides a form that you can download and print. You may then fill out the form and fax or mail it to a your local or regional OSHA office.
3) Phone – You can discuss your complaint with an OSHA staff member by calling your local OSHA office or the toll-free hotline at 1-800-321-OSHA for emergency situations.
OSHA takes all complaints seriously – and your information will be kept completely confidential.
