OSHA Refresher: What Do Employees Need to Know

OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a federal agency that is responsible for workplace regulations covering employee health and safety. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, companies must provide safe and healthy workplaces. OSHA works to ensure that workplaces are safe and healthy by making and enforcing standards, providing training and education and help to companies.

The OSHA standards are rules outlining the ways that employers must protect their employees from hazards. There are different standards for different industries – ones for construction, agriculture, maritime operations and general industry.

The standards spell out acceptable levels of hazardous chemicals that workers can be exposed to, mandate safe practices and safe equipment, and require that companies monitor hazards and record injuries and illnesses that occur in the workplace.

As an employee, it certainly would be in your best interests to be familiar with the ways in which OSHA can help you. OSHA provides a number of different educational materials and resources, which include publications on worker rights, employer responsibilities, job hazards and their prevention. OSHA also has pages online covering safety and health topics about specific workplace hazards in specific industries. Training materials are also available.

Under OSHA guidelines, employees are entitled to working conditions that do not present a risk of serious harm to them. Workers are entitled to certain rights as well, including:

1. Information and training about hazards in the workplace, ways to prevent accidents, and the OSHA standards themselves for their particular industry
2. The results of tests and other monitoring to find and measure hazards in the workplace
3. The authority to review records of injuries and illnesses sustained in the workplace
4. The authority to see copies of their workplace medical records
5. The right to file a confidential complaint with OSHA to have their workplace inspected
6. The right to take part in an OSHA inspection and to talk privately with the inspector
7. The right to file a complaint with OSHA for retaliation or discrimination by their employer for asking for an inspection
8. The right to file a complaint if they have been adversely affected by being a whistleblower

If you are looking for work in the Inland Empire, Arrow Staffing can work with you to find the kind of job you are looking for. We have the experience and expertise to find the right position for you. Give Arrow a call today.

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