WASHINGTON – The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently revised its online whistleblower
complaint form to help users file a complaint with the appropriate agency.
The form provides workers with another option for submitting retaliation
complaints to the U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA.
The updated form
guides individuals as they file a complaint through the process, providing essential
questions at the beginning so they can better understand and exercise their
rights under relevant laws. One significant improvement to the system includes pop-up
boxes with information about various agencies for individuals who indicate that
they have engaged in protected activity that may be addressed by an agency
other than OSHA. The new form is available in English and Spanish.
“Workers who report unsafe conditions and wrongdoing have a
range of legal protections from retaliation,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary
of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt. “The revised
online complaint form works to ensure whistleblowers file their complaints with
the appropriate federal agency for prompt action.”
In addition to the
online form, workers can file complaints by fax, mail, or hand-delivery;
contacting the agency at 800-321-6742; or calling an OSHA regional or area office.
OSHA enforces the
whistleblower provisions of 22 statutes protecting employees who report violations
of various securities laws, trucking, airline, nuclear power, pipeline,
environmental, rail, public transportation, workplace safety and health, and
consumer protection laws. Detailed information on employee whistleblower
rights, including fact sheets, is available online at http://www.whistleblowers.gov/.
Under the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe
and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure
these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing
standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more
information, visit www.osha.gov.
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