Regardless of the industry you work in, there is always a potential risk of injury and illness. However, the likelihood of workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities significantly increases when an employer fails to meet certain safety and health standards enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Depending on the industry you work in, your company is legally required to meet certain standards to maintain a safe and healthful work environment for its employees. If you believe your employer has violated any OSHA safety or health standards, you must file a complaint with OSHA to prevent future accidents and injuries from occurring. Keep reading to learn about the most common OSHA violations and how a trusted Prince George’s County Work Injury Lawyer can help you protect your rights as a worker.
What OSHA violations are most frequent?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a public health agency created to ensure workers’ rights to a safe and healthful workplace are protected. OSHA sets and enforces health and safety standards. In addition, they provide training, education, outreach, and assistance to companies on how to maintain a safe workplace for their industry’s specific degree of danger. They are responsible for conducting inspections of companies working conditions. An OSHA violation occurs when a company willingly or unknowingly fails to comply with its legal requirements and ignores safety hazards. If a violation is discovered, the company will receive a citation. If they fail to remedy the hazardous condition, they will be fined as uncorrected hazards can cause serious accidents and injuries to occur. Workers must know the most common OSHA violations to ensure their employer is not violating their legal requirements. The most common OSHA violations include:
- Fall protection
- Communication hazards
- Respiratory protection
- Ladders
- Scaffolding
- Eye and face protection
- Powered industrial trucks
- Machinery hazards
Can I lose my job if I file a complaint?
As mentioned above, workers have the right to a safe workplace. With that being said, you cannot lose your job for reporting unsafe or unhealthful working conditions to OSHA. It is illegal for companies or employers to retaliate against a worker for filing a complaint. If you believe that your employer has retaliated against you in any way by firing, demoting, transferring, denying benefits, or otherwise taking wrongful action against you for filing a complaint, you can file a retaliation complaint. You cannot be punished for exercising your right to a safe workplace. You must file a retaliation claim within 30 days of the retaliation. It is in your immediate interest to hire an experienced lawyer who can help you through this intricate process and ensure your rights are protected.
For more information on how to protect your rights as a worker, please contact a skilled Prince George’s County work injury lawyer. Our firm is committed to helping our clients achieve favorable results.
